We are in the midst of the busy holiday season, but I hope you will take a few minutes to read my blog.  I must confess that Christmas is not my favorite holiday.  I don't like all the commercialism that surrounds it, and I can't but help think of all the people who will be lonely at Christmas.  This Christmas Bob and I are in a much better place.  Last Christmas I left him in the car in the grocery store parking lot while I ran in to get 2 items.  He had never gotten out of the car before, but there is always a first time for everything.  When I came out, he was nowhere to be found.  A sweet lady saw me looking frantically around the parking lot and asked if I was looking for Bob.  She had seen him wandering around the parking lot and had taken him into the store.  I thanked her profusely and ran into the store, but I couldn't find him there either.  Then paramedics arrived and I just had a hunch it could be something to do with Bob....The store management had called them, and he was fine, had not fallen, but of course he wasn't making sense to them, but he was certainly enjoying all the attention!  This year he is not belligerent and angry like he was last year, so this will be a much better Christmas.
Here are a few tips that may help you survive the holidays:
1.  Pay it forward.  Three times in the last month someone has paid it forward to me.  I was able to reciprocate and pay it forward to someone else.  Strange how it makes your day, whether you are on the receiving or the giving end.
2.  Exercise.  If you can do just half an hour a day it will help.  I have given this tip before that our yoga instructor ends our sessions with during the Advent season.  And it will help also if you are worried and you can't sleep.  Lie on your back, and relax totally.  On the inhale say a phrase something like "Peace of Christ" and on the exhale say "rest in me".  Or say whatever you choose.
Or you can do Tai Chi.  Google "taichi18.com" and then click on the site "TaiChi, Qigong and Feng Shui Institute: Home.  You have to scroll down a little to get to the video.  If you are not in shape, this is for you!
3.  Enjoy the food, keeping it as healthy as possible, but splurge a little.  When my dad died, my mom's comfort food was marshmallows, and she ate bags of them.  I think mine would be spaghetti, or maybe chocolate!  For Bob it is German Chocolate cake.  I have made him one for his birthday every year since we have been married, except when we are traveling.  I made one recently and took him a piece.  I asked him if he wanted it (silly question!).  He doesn't always answer questions with answers that make sense, but this time he said YES!  Then he asked "Did you make it?"
4.  Enjoy the music, even if you have been hearing it since October.  I have enjoyed several concerts already this season, and it lifts your spirits.  Also I have been playing Christmas music, secular and sacred on the piano at The Piper where Bob is, and the residents that don't pay attention any other time have perked up their ears, tap their toes, and sing along.
5.  Stay healthy.  I went to a naturopathic doctor recently that is hired by Shawnee Mission Medical Center, or Shawnee Mission Health as it is called now, with all the satellites.  She had spoken at one of our retired nurses luncheons and I was very impressed with her.  I wanted her to review the supplements I am taking and make suggestions.  She recommended to keep your immunity up during this cold and flu season to take elderberry concentrate.  She said there is no better antioxidant.  Take a teaspoon a day, and increase the dose greatly if you start to have cold symptoms.  If you live here locally, the one she recommends is Elderberry concentrate made by Wyldewood Cellars in Peck, KS and it is available at Natural Grocers.  It comes in what looks like a wine bottle.  I promise it isn't elderberry wine, but a nip or two of that might not be a bad thing either! If you don't have access to that, any brand of elderberry concentrate would be fine, I am sure.  I don't know why insurance doesn't pay for preventative and homeopathic medicine, but they don't.  But see, I have given you some free advice!
6.  Decorate--at least a little, so you don't have to face taking it all down in January.  Mine is scaled way down this year because of two resident cats named Smoky and Sadie!
7.  Stay connected as much as possible with friends and family, and cherish your loved ones.  You don't know how much longer you will have them.  I have dear friends who have lost their spouses this year and this will be a blue Christmas for them, I am sure.  Bob's brother's wife died from complications of a routine knee surgery (if there is such a thing).  I will be spending winter evenings of January and February making pillows for them from their favorite husband's shirts, for maybe a small consolation.  I have had people tell me this year that they received phone calls from Bob after he was diagnosed, and it seemed like he just wanted to talk.  I have no idea how he got their phone numbers, but one high school classmate knew it was a blast from the past when he called her at work and asked for "Sharon Rose".  She had not used her middle name after she got married!  I did not know he made those phone calls.  Was he calling maybe to say goodbye?
 I think as you grow older your Christmas list gets shorter because the things you want can't be bought--(author unknown).  For all my friends and family,  and also as granddaughter Libby prays for all the animals, this Christmas I wish for you joy, love, and health, but most of all I wish for you to have peace.
Love to you all this Christmas,
Betty