Handling the Holidiays

Over the years, I have learned that I am not a big holiday person. I do what I can do without stress, and just don't do anything more. Part of the situation is that I work at a hospital and we are extremely busy with people being sick in the winter, people partying and ending up in the ER, and people trying to use up their insurance before the end of the year. (I worked the ER the weekend after Thanksgiving and it was a madhouse with broken bones, heart attacks, and abdominal problems...) Add to that the fact that hospital workers get sick too and many want to take vacation time to be with their families and we end up short staffed at a very busy time. So my Christmas decorations are in two plastic bins and are easily set up, JMM makes Christmas dinner, and gifts are simple. I enjoy beautiful Christmas music, avoid crowds, and love my family. Sweet and simple and works for me.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday; in all honesty, it’s the only holiday I even like. It centers on being thankful for life’s blessings with family and friends. The best Thanksgivings are the ones where everyone contributes something to the meal and there is lots of talk and laughter. I don’t like Christmas at all with all the commercialization and the whole gimme mentality. I’m not religious enough to get into Easter and resent the commercial attempt to turn it into a mini-Christmas. I do enjoy watching a good fireworks display on Independence Day; I usually work evening shift and get to watch the fireworks in Hermann Park. Birthdays and anniversaries are fine with family. Am I a grinch? Fine, so be it.