One down 2 to go! (the Holiday season)

[ljamieson]

Being of Scottish/Irish lineage This is the time of year that the neon lights get brighter, the commercials get louder, the alcohol flows like water. Be it at work, with friends, just about anywhere. Being in Recovery for a very long time it normally does not affect very much, but there are those days I would love to hear how some of you deal with the holiday season.

[kiltedtom]

Being a single guy at a time when most people my age are married with children and grandchildren, I have to admit that the "holiday season," which for me is pretty much Thanksgiving through St. Valentine's day, is not my favorite time of the year. In fact, each year it becomes a little more difficult to try to stay in a good frame of mind. Waking up alone each day and hearing others talk about how they celebrated with spouses and the like becomes depressing. I try to act as though it does not bother me and that I am happy for others, but most of the time I would rather not hear it at all.

Two things make it easier for me: 1) giving gifts to others, and 2) the music of the holidays. Each year family and friends try to restrict the gift giving (of course, never asking what I think of that) which I hate. But I listen to and sing all of those old great songs of the season. They help me make it through in a better mood.

Hope that others have a better story to tell. And I do wish everyone here a happy and healthy holiday season.

Tom

[James Hood]

No "recovery" applicable here, "except" for heartsick missing of loved ones no longer in this realm, to celebrate and share the holidays.

Thanksgiving is always a family-joy, save the above.

The ever-more-relentless, ever-more-spend-spend-spend-spend-spend-commercialized, ever-louder, atttacks on the actual meaning of Christmas and yultetide seem become ever-more annoying, here. And the "popular" social-political harassment of the season is not enjoyable, either.

New Year's is in this opinion, best quietly celebrated at home and the mega-partying silly-huge stuff, left to amatuers and media.

The whole "need for" over-eating, over-imbibing, over-spending, pack on a stone of unneeded fat, mess up your blood chemistry, party-till-you-repeatedly projectile-vomit, bits of the month-straight year-end time, has become rather tedious, in this soul.

Best of fortune.

[GMan]

Glad to have as a member of the community.

[Tarheel]

Here's my "negative to a positive" 2 pence worth. 1 down and 2 to go, gives you a 33% success rate. The odds favor you having a great new year with those numbers. All the rest is advertising cacophony.

[WillowEstate]

Hi and a warm welcome from sunny Queensland!

While the boys were growing up in the UK, we had a "stay at home" policy for Christmas through New Year, so that they could enjoy their presents and we didn't have to worry about abstaining if we were driving.

[Mike_Oettle]

As a South African I am grateful that we don’t have a Thanksgiving Day to trumpet the arrival of the festive season. There are enough “Christmas” events going on through December and even November, not to mention Christmas shopping in September!
And I like to remind people that Christmas not only arrives no sooner than the evening of the 24th, it remains with us until 6 January.
At least it is summer here, and I can look forward to a nice cool dip before or after my Christmas dinner.
Regards,
Mike

[dougle]

[Stitchwiz]

from Owen Sound, ON

[ratspike]

Being a fairly mean spirited atheist who dislikes the out of control consumerism and general idiocy that go along with xmas, as well as the traditional Thanksgiving holiday because genocide, you might say this time of year really tests my patience. I do enjoy the weather, and eggnog, and Fairytale of New York, so I just HTFU and take the good with the bad.

Also, welcome aboard!