The holidays are creeping up fast,
In the midst of fatigue you wonder, "how long will it last?"
Through chronic illness and good health,
A common ground, there may not be much wealth.
Below are solutions you will find,
A gift from the heart is always one of a kind!
A Fibro-FRIENDLY Christmas
When you have any chronic illness, holidays are
usually difficult. This is especially true with Fibromyalgia (FMS). Chronic illness, again including FMS, is also
hard on the wallet, and the holidays are as well! In today’s economy, this is
even more so than in years past. With these things in mind, I decided to take a
new look at how those with FMS could decrease stress this year. I have combined
the considerations of stress, energy, pain, fatigue, expense, and what the
holidays…and family and friends…are really all about.
Holidays involve family visits, big dinners and or
parties, and gift-giving. As if those things alone are not enough, they do not
“just happen” without a lot of prep-time…a lot of energy, thought, work, etc.
We want our homes “company-clean” and decorated. We want to serve everyone’s
favorite dish. We want to see the look on a loved one’s face when they open
their gift and it is just exactly what they wanted! Healthy people are usually
worn out pulling all of this off, let alone trying to do it when you have FMS!
None-the-less though, we who have FMS perhaps want even more than those who are
healthy to make the holidays special; extra special because we know our
fibro-live imposes upon their lives, making them also fibro-lives. But with FMS,
how does one ever pull off the successful holiday we envision?
Well, first of all…we do not. We have to accept that
in truth picture-perfect-holidays are just that: pictures! Once we have done
that, we set some realistic goals, and with some “out-of the-gift-box-thinking”,
we can achieve them!
What exactly is this “out-of-the-gift-box-thinking”?
(Shamelessly, the pun is most certainly intended!) I am suggesting that you
combine the chores that need to be done and the gifts that are to be given to
create a less expenses and less stressful holiday for all!
Suggest that rather than buying you gifts, your
family and friends “do” something for you as their gift this year! Suggestions:
·
Get the house “company-clean”
·
Decorate the house, perhaps even your
porch and front lawn, for the holiday
·
Help you brain-storm your own gift list
·
Do your gift shopping for you
·
Help you plan holiday get-to-gathers
·
Prepare dishes for the holiday meals
and/or parties
·
Clean up after meals and/or parties
·
Take down and store holiday decorations
when the holiday is over
You can also offer your time and services as gifts
to others rather than having to spend money or shop! You have to start early in
order to give yourself plenty of time, but you could offer to do many things
that those who work outside of the home find hard to get done.
·
Address Christmas cards
·
Conduct internet research on gifts that
they are seeking or need more information about
·
Organize pictures from past holidays for
a special, surprise display
·
Clip coupons for grocery items that will
be needed for the feasts or for gift items or get coupons from internet sites
·
Send out invitations for holiday
gatherings whether by mail, email, facebook, text messages, phone calls, etc
·
Frost and/or decorate cupcakes and/or
cookies that others have already baked
These are just a few ideas. Now that I have got you
started, I am sure you can come up with many more! You might even expand on it!
Perhaps weekly you have the time to clip coupons for your very busy daughter or
daughter-in-law! Or maybe your grandsons can take turns doing your lawn work
for you all year as their gift to you!
The possibilities are endless and we would love to
hear of any you come up with! Also, we want to know how well our ideas work for
you! Please share your fibro-FRIENDLY Christmas results and ideas with us after
the holidays!
Have a Merry fibro-CHRISTMAS and a Happy, Happy New
fibro-YEAR !
Blessings on you and your fibroLIFE!
~Meshea Crysup, Founder/Director of fibroLIFE
meshea@fibroLIFE.us
