This time of year holiday stress and depression go hand in hand. What causes the stress? In my experience, it can come from a lot of different angles.
Christmas time is usually the time when you have to tolerate family reunions with people that don’t give a rat’s a$$ about you any other time of the year. They get together not because they have any desire to see you and celebrate the holiday, but because they feel an obligation to. To me this is just bull$hit. If you aren’t good enough to bother with the rest of the year, you don’t need to bother at Christmas either. These same bunches of dysfunctional folks thrive on chaos and only bother to invite you because they feel it is the Christian thing to do. In my opinion, I would rather pass on these gatherings where I feel like the bastard at the family reunion: unwanted and scorned. Unfortunately, as much as they feel obligated to invite, you feel obligated to attend because it is family and by all that is holy it is Christmas. The result is that conversation is stilted and the atmosphere is about as comfortable and welcoming as a broom shoved up you’re a$$ sideways. I realize that some families enjoy each other’s company and look forward to and enjoy the holidays together. I am happy to say that as far as my own little family of four, we fall in the later category.
Let’s face it, one of the biggest stress causes in my book during the holidays is stretching money to cover all the added extra expense of Christmas plus pay the bills. When you live paycheck to paycheck, the money situation can be a real challenge. Amazingly enough, somehow Christmas always comes and is just as joyous as the year before. There is the running around trying to find the best prices on the gifts and making that almighty dollar go a little farther. I felt blessed this year to have my husband home to do our Christmas shopping. There have been some years he hasn’t been. There have even been some years where he had to leave on Christmas day and we scrambled around trying to fit everything in on Christmas Eve.
When I was younger Christmas’s were hectic and stressful as we rushed from one relative’s house to the next. It was stressful making sure we had everything we needed to have for each place over and above all the running around. While I miss the people that have died over the years and getting together to share Christmas with each of them, I don’t miss all the running here and there frenzy. I have found I enjoy staying home with my husband and kids opening presents, enjoying a special lunch, then feasting on a dinner fit for a king, while playing with all the kids new toys. While I am still the perfectionist I have always been, I have mellowed with age and feel I enjoy Christmas even more when it finally comes.
Christmas can be an overwhelming and stressful time, but it can also be happy and joyous. This year it offers more together time with my kids and husband that I not only eagerly look forward to, but that I intend to enjoy and savor until next time when I give you another glimpse into the life of a trucker’s wife.
