It’s Christmastime and we are caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. We spend money like crazy and throw budgets out the window. We’re in our kitchens baking cookies and decorating our homes while listening to the classic Christmas songs. It’s a time to be festive and forget our problems but…
It’s OK to not be OK and, I’ve been there.
Christmas can be a stressful time if you’ve recently lost a loved one or someone you care about is in the hospital. You may be dealing with job loss or marital or relationship stress. It’s OK to not be OK. For me, I dealt with sadness and depression over the holidays. I wasn’t where I wanted to be in life. I wasn’t in my safe space anymore. I didn’t know what the future held. The time of the year was the late 2000s.
I was going through a transition period in 2021 as I left WIS and started at Giant Eagle. My journey had just begun after I brought it to light and I wasn’t feeling like I was getting approval. I felt like giving up (just as I wanted to earlier this year because of the nasty words said about Dylan Mulvaney). But I went back at the eleventh hour and learned that if I like it, then that’s all that matters.
My aunt has always been a big part of our holiday celebrations and takes part in the Christmas Eve festivities with us. This year will be the first time she won’t due to her son (our cousin) spending the holiday at Children’s Hospital for a skin condition called HS. Last year was a Christmas miracle as Benny came home on Christmas Eve after being hospitalized for a week. It was short lived though as he would be back at Children’s by February and would be there for four months. For us, we’ll be sad they’re missing the holidays but happy he’s getting taken care of. It’s OK to not feel OK during the holidays.
I visited Children’s Hospital many times and I said goodbye. I celebrated two years with Giant Eagle and stayed strong in the face of adversity.
2023 was the year I came back to blogging, rekindled my Toastmasters fire, saw Super Mario Bros. at the theatre, and learned about Dylan Mulvaney. It was the year I continued to embrace my style and rock the cheetah print, and publish my 500th blog post. I learned not to change for anyone and I revisited Harry Potter and really enjoy it now. I’m in it for the long haul now.
I’m officially counting down the top five of 2023 and there’s still a lot to talk about. Some surprises but overall this year had a lot to offer. There’s still more to come this December.
Stylish 🍒 