Is it wrong to say…

Is it wrong to say “I didn’t enjoy Christmas”?

As an openly soppy person, that usually loves Christmas; I found myself ever so slightly disillusioned this year. It just all felt too much-of everything really (except cards, apparently the trend is not to send!) I like cards. So Christmas lost its magic and sparkle.

I do hope it’s not a grumpy getting older mid life crisis thing!!!! I’m far too young for that.

Maybe being woken by my six year old at 3.45am Xmas morn, not because he thought he had heard Santa, but because he was throwing up didn’t help (Christmas nightmare)!

Why do so many of us get sick over Christmas? Both times I’ve had proper, full on, stay in bed for three days flu have been on Christmas day. Is it because we all rush around like headless turkeys for the whole of December? Buying everything in sight! Depleting our bank accounts, as well as our energy supplies. I was determined to stay calm, stay well and not burn myself out this year.

Even my lovely yoga teacher Amy Bramble recognized the need to counteract the sheer exhaustion Christmas brings with it and treated us to classes bordering on restorative.

With getting close to fifty people on my Christmas list, making sure that you get the right gift is both emotionally and financially draining. We had to fly pie face in from China! And with relatives either suggesting what you could buy for them and theirs, whilst demanding to know exactly what they should buy in return, hasn’t the fun gone out of the unwrapping? That said we are now so accustomed to expecting to get exactly what we wanted, that we are now quite offended to receive something that we didn’t choose, don’t like or don’t want.

Then there’s the food -OMG-The supermarkets are stocked up like world war III is shortly about to commence. Filled with food that is so good we only eat it once every twelve months (BIZARRE) But we buy it and loads of it (even more BIZARRE). No wonder we can’t wait to detox come New Year’s Day.

As the person that always brings the family together (I need therapy for this, something to do with being a middle child) I often feel like I’m only partly there at these festive gatherings. So busy orchestrating the humungous roast, I never enjoy the eating! I did boycott Brussels sprouts this year, who really likes them? and there is only so much room on the plate for the other fifteen varieties of vegetable LOL!

Have I mentioned how much I detest the fact that shops need to open on Boxing Day, what on earth can we possibly need? The world has gone crazy!

I’m sounding like the Grinch, and there were aspects to the festive season that weren’t all bad, so on a positive note I would like to share some highlights: The school nativity plays, dressing up like an elf and spending a merry evening with my crazy friends, receiving a card from my nephew with words so lovely they made me cry, still having one gorgeous true believer in Father Christmas living amongst us, seeing how much my Son loved his real Lasso(I agree what were we thinking), dragging all my kids reluctantly to the panto(oh yes you will enjoy it),Singing carols rather badly on the Green with my crazy friends and receiving my beautiful handmade card from Rodeo boy on December 29th.

Christmas miracles included me not taking offence when my mother in law insisted she bring her own gravy (the Yoga is paying off) and two of my nearest and dearest calling a truce (bygones) and enjoying a meal at my table… Maybe Christmas hasn’t lost its magic after all.

Joy to you all
Amanda xx