The holiday season isn’t easy for me. Can you relate? When I was a kid my mom had red velvet dresses for my sister and me, along with patent leather shoes. My brother was put in a shiny suit. Christmas was a big show. We drove a long distance to get to my great grandmother’s house. Her name was Agnes. She lived with her daughter Thelma. The roads were usually snowy and slippery. Often my dad would have a bad low blood sugar for some reason or another. My mom ended up yelling at him, to try to get him to drink some orange juice. Sometimes he would. Sometimes he wouldn’t.
Those were the days before blood glucose monitors, when low blood sugars were detected by feel alone. The car rides were usually very uncomfortable. We’d arrive and lots of relatives would be there, and the presents under the tree piled up. It took forever to unwrap them, one by one. Along the way, we ate way too much food.
These days, I don’t spend the holidays with my biological family. I have opted out. The reasons are complex. It boils down to the experiences I had as a child. The end result is that I don’t gather with my family. I’m not married, and I don’t have a boyfriend, so I don’t get together with his family.
Every year I grapple with how to spend the days. Luckily, I gave up Catholicism when I was sixteen, so going to church isn’t a pull. I prefer to find sand, sun and the ocean as often as possible, as it is different from my childhood experience. This year, I am going to Los Angeles to see my dear friend Jill. I will also get to see my friend Andrea, with whom I moved to California, when we both graduated from college. I’m excited to see the ocean, wear shorts, run in the sand and spend hours laughing and telling stories with both Jill and Andrea.
The other thing that helps me survive the holiday season is having a fitness goal for the new year. Tonight I rode my bike trainer for an hour and a half. I officially start training for my 100 mile ride, which will be on June 4th, on February 7th, and as I mentioned in my previous blog, I have a team that will train and ride with me. I’ve vowed to remain fit throughout the whole winter! So far, I’m on track!! How are you doing?
I wish Light and Love for everyone. I hope you are surrounded by joy and peace.
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