Happy holidays! My family had a very quiet celebration this year. With all of the Coronavirus restrictions and guidelines, we decided to do Christmas at home with just the immediate family members that reside here. I’ve got to say, it was peaceful and joyous for once! We are currently staying in a motel, so instead of cooking a large meal we ordered out. The kids all told me that it was the best holiday ever and I’m so relieved to hear it.
The kids all got some presents, although not as many as they are used to. My kids would never complain about a gift. They have always been extremely humble and appreciative of anything and everything that they ever receive… I must be doing something right! This year my boys got to purchase gifts for the family, so they were super excited to be more active participants this time around. All-in-all I would say that the holiday was a success.
All of the pre-holiday stress is over and I am so glad for it. All of the cleaning, shopping, wrapping and other holiday preparations really took a toll on my mind and body. Living with chronic illness makes the holidays seem so daunting. Lucky for me, my kids are older so I don’t have to stay up late and play the Santa game with them. We let them open all of their presents on Christmas Eve and we all slept in Christmas morning. Ah, the joys of having teenagers. They love to sleep in almost as much as I do!
The after effects of the holiday have manifested themselves in the form of an autoimmune flare. Days like this I realize all too well just how sick I really am. I was super cautious not to overdo anything, yet here I am in a full-blown flare – AGAIN! It seems like every time I turn around I have another flare coming. I ache from my head to toe today. Every single muscle is hurting. I’ll be spending the rest of the day under my heating blanket I am sure.
As the year comes to an end, I spend way too much time pondering everything that came to pass. This year was a really tough one, not just for my family, but for the entire world. I started this year in sunny Florida, but relocated to ice-cold Washington in April. Living in Washington with Raynaud’s is quite difficult for me. Our move here has been full of blessings and lessons already. My husband landed an amazing job with great benefits, and we are close to moving into our own place (we have spent this entire year homeless). Things are looking up in some ways, but in others the struggle is still strong. My health is taking a turn for the worse, but I remain hopeful and optimistic that it will only be temporary. I have several appointments with new specialists coming up, so pray that they can help me y’all.
Happy New Year from my family to yours! Love and light now and always.
My Autoimmune Life 