From the start of our celebrations toward Christmas, decorating our homes, choosing suitable gifts, getting in touch with our loved ones, attending social events and church services, life gets busy.
We also overindulge by eating and drinking more than usual. It can be a joyful but also a stressful time. We lose our routine and are sometimes not even sure what day of the week it is. Once Christmas and the New Year have passed, we may be relieved to get back to normal.
The year end and the incoming new year can be a difficult time too for others who live alone or are depressed, it is even more difficult.
As I begin the lengthy process of taking down and putting away all the Christmas decorations, my thoughts turn to the events of the past couple of weeks.
I have learned that taking time to properly store the decorations for next Christmas is very worthwhile. If you wrap them up carefully, label them, put them back in their original boxes, when possible, take out the electric batteries, next Christmas you will be so glad you took the time.
January is a time of year with days of less light, cold, wind, rain and snow which affect our well-being. Fine if you are a skier or snowboarder, but some of us feel depressed and can’t wait for spring and our world to seemingly come to life again.
My arthritis is always worse in the winter, fortunately each year we have been able to get away for a dose of winter sunshine. This year it will be Barbados and looking forward to it helps get me through the toughest days.
In many ways 2024 was a bumper year for me, with many good events and several achievements which made me proud. But as with all of us, there are unexpected and unwanted negatives. How we deal with them can make a huge difference. I tend to be annoyingly positive, but that does not mean there are no negatives in my life.
Each year since my 80th birthday I have issued myself a challenge to overcome, to do something I have never done before, usually physical.
In 2023 I took part in the Waterloo Regional Police Force Polar Plunge fundraiser. That was quite invigorating, a shock to the system. In 2024 I went zip lining, a first for me in Costa Rica. It was in the Cloud Forest, so high up, we could not see the ground below, just the tree tops and sky above. It was scary but exhilarating.
Exercise and being outdoors are supposedly cures for depression, but my tendency to fall and other signs of aging, this has become more difficult. As a formerly active person this has taken some time to accept.
Selecting this year’s challenge will take careful planning as my physical limitations continue to grow. With a brace on my wrist, added to arthritic knees and hips, and neuropathy in my feet, it is not easy to choose, but I will.
Meanwhile as I continue to pack up decorations, try to get back on track, heat up all the leftovers and turn them into delicious dishes, I think about all the people we saw, family, friends and loved ones, those who I couldn’t see due to distance or lack of time.
As you return to your normal routine, I wish all the best for 2025.
