#ChronicChristmas Day 21: Embrace the Small Moments
What do you remember from past Christmases — the times everything went according to plan, or the moments when imperfection snuck into the celebrations? We work so hard to make the holidays perfect, but that’s not what makes for enduring family legends. One of my favourite memories was the year when the tree slowly, but…
#ChronicChristmas Day 20: Ask for Help
Me do it. I’m not a toddler, but you will quite frequently hear me say similar words. Perhaps a bit more eloquent, as my language skills have improved somewhat since I was two. But really. It boils down to the same thing. I bet you’ve been stuck in the same place more than once, but…
#ChronicChristmas Day 19: Be Kind to Someone
Christmas doesn’t just come from a store. Yes, we’re back to those immortal words by the green guy in my favourite Christmas special. Because contrary to everything in every commercial starting earlier and earlier in November every year, this season isn’t actually about consumerism. It isn’t even about buying presents for each other (or yourself)….
#ChronicChristmas Day 18: Buy Yourself a Present
You have a list, and you’ve checked it not twice, but a dozen times or more. It’s colour-coded, carefully organized to keep track of which gifts you bought for whom, who you’re still working on, where the gifts are on the various stages between stuck in the closet somewhere in a pile of bags to…
Hello from the Disabled Side*
Dear Adele, Like every other person in the world, I was really excited about your new album, and even more excited when I heard you were going to come to Toronto. Not just one show, for four shows! I took a look at the dates and decided that the Friday show would be perfect. You…
ChronicChristmas Day 17: Feed the Animals
The current mild temperatures in Toronto notwithstanding, we have entered a time of year where it’s hard for wildlife to find food. I remember reading an article last year about how many waterfowl had starved to death because of the thick layer of ice on Lake Ontario that lasted for months and months. Watching birds…
Why I Don’t Have a Christmas Tree
When I first moved out on my own, I had a Christmas tree. A live one in a pot. I thoroughly enjoyed decorating it with my own ornaments, and turning on the lights in the evening. After Christmas, it got planted in my sister’s garden, where it lived happily for several years before giving up…
#ChronicChristmas Day 16: Prepare for Stressful People
We all have them. This family member or acquaintance who tests our ability to stay calm and enjoy the holidays. Likely said person only have our best interests in mind. Of course, it’s also possible that they are profoundly self-absorbed. Motivation doesn’t really count, what matters is that we end up pinned in a corner,…
#ChronicChristmas Day 15: Give the Gift of Time
Everyone is so tired. No matter who I’ve talked to in the last few weeks, the common theme is being so exhausted that they simply can’t enjoy the lead-up to the holidays. And I could wax poetic (okay, more accurately rant) about how ridiculous it is that we have all become so busy that we…
#ChronicChristmas Day 14: Celebrate the Holidays
Christmas is a very dominant holiday. It’s quite rude, when you think of it, the way it has invaded everywhere (yes, I’m joking). In that way, it’s much like the English language, which James D. Nicoll described as not just borrowing words from other languages, but “on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways…
#ChronicChristmas Day 13: Bake a Cookie
PS Stacey shared a fantastic idea about a cookie exchange on my Facebook page. #ChronicChristmas is an Advent calendar of tips for a sane holiday season with a chronic illness. Check back tomorrow for the next tip. To see all the posts in the series, click the #ChronicChristmas label below this post.
#ChronicChristmas Day 12: Cut Down on Gifts
Find the line between the gifts you want to give, and the gifts you’re giving because you feel you have to. Some families practice secret Santa, others pick names so each member of the family only buys presents for one person. In my mother’s family, the rule was that once you hit 18, you were…