As I write this note to wish those of you who celebrate Christmas a merry one, I'm aware that many of us will not be celebrating it the way we'd planned. My family may or may not be able to make it to my home for our meal and celebration, as we will likely be in the middle of a full scale blizzard.
This brings to mind other Christmas times that were “imperfect.” We, as a family, had several elders die near Christmas. So those years, we planned funerals and Christmas all at once. Other years brought other problems. Life doesn’t stop happening because it's Christmas.
Yet, when we think of the day, with all of its bitter sweet historical counterparts, we realize that what matters is how we live our lives all year. While it would be fun to have a "Normal Rockwell" Christmas every year, it's not very practical to expect that. We'll have a nice Christmas in whatever way it unfolds (and the celebration on whatever day it works). We'll have a normal, imperfect Christmas, and that is okay.
Wishing you the best of the holiday season from Minding Our Elders. Remember to take care of yourself, the caregiver, as well as the care receivers.
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