You know, I'm starting to see the silver lining to this cloud I've been under. Isn't it interesting when we learn, once again, that pain and suffering have a purpose besides simply making us miserable?
The Viking is still in pain, yes, and I am still finding myself retching each and every morning (sorry...TMI?), but things have eased a bit and I'm starting to see how this has been a good thing.
As has happened many times over, it was one of my sisters who pointed me oh so gently in the right direction (what would I do without them?) and by means of a comment on my last post.
Do I have to do all the things I think I have to do? They may be good things, but are they all necessary? It got me thinking. First about Thanksgiving and all the pressure I put on myself to create the perfect Holiday for everyone. Does anyone need five side dishes in any meal plus bread and dessert? Of course not. So, out went the Brussels sprouts and sweet potatoes. Will it ruin the stuffing if I use a discount bag of bread cubes instead of cubing and drying fancy bread myself? No way! Bye-bye to expensive bread and hello to five more dollars in my wallet. Is anyone (besides me) going to notice if I make the filling from a mix for the vanilla and chocolate cream pies instead of making them from scratch? Probably not. Jello pudding to the rescue! Daria is staying with us again to lend her helpful hands and the children have been recruited so I think we're going to be fine with or without a lucid Viking. I even got all my Thanksgiving shopping done this morning and, thanks to Daria's suggestion that I try an Aldi store, saved a butt-load of money! I can't believe I never tried it before.
As a result of further contemplation, I have come to the conclusion that Redheaded Snippet is going to have to prioritize her activities and make some difficult decisions. She can't possibly do basketball, youth group, indoor field hockey and Futures hockey training all in the same winter. It's impossible. So, it's looking like basketball will not be happening. The Viking and I have decided to curtail other Christmas activities such as singing or playing in the Christmas Eve service or for the town's Tree-Lighting Ceremony and are going away with my family starting Christmas Eve this year. We may actually succeed in securing a calmer, more peaceful, more meaningful Christmas this year. A season in which we can focus on the real reason for joy and thanksgiving. I am actually starting to look forward to it all!
So, we're still tweaking, still refining, still simplifying. We're hoping to get a lot of the "company" cleaning done today. Redheaded Snippet's last game of the season is tomorrow. The Viking is having a minor surgical procedure done on Tuesday. Slowly, we're making progress and I am seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. And I'm recognizing that I would not have shed all this baggage if it hadn't been for the stress and worry of last week.
See? Silver lining.
1 comment:
Yay! I am so glad you are feeling better. I didn't realize you were retching every morning! And I am so proud of you for taking what I said to heart. You must have already known in your own heart that you needed to make a change, and I just gave you that little push.
You've never shopped at Aldi's? I tried to tell you! It's the best! I abandoned it when Rosebud was born because it was just too difficult with 2, but maybe now I can go back to it. It's great.
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