AGING & THE HOLIDAYS

I participate in a Creative Writing Group through OLLI at Penn State York. From time to time I will share my writings for this group.

Aging and the Holidays
November 17, 2022

Recently I celebrated my sixty-fifth trip around the sun. While I did pause to celebrate, this milestone triggered my mind to ponder the changes that have come about in the past few years and the new challenges those changes bring.

My delusional mind still likes to think I can still do everything the same way I did in years past.  But then my rational thinking body steps in and gives my brain a reality check. Body parts ache now I didn’t even know I had along with known parts! I often comment to my husband that if I wake up one morning and nothing hurts I will know I have crossed over. Walking is a bit more of a challenge, though I have dealt with this for sometime due to back issues. But I definitely can see that I move slower these days. Speaking of seeing, have you noticed that everything seems to be in small print these days? And can you tell me why the lines on the road disappear at night, or the road itself in some cases?

Perhaps one of the cruelest challenges of aging is the need to develop new eating habits. It seems that just about every food I loved that was part of our holiday table is not a part of a modified healthy diet. Admittedly I still cheat from time to time. Meals that include spicy foods, rich creamy-based dishes or fried foods are sure to prompt my digestive system to remind me I am not young anymore! Yet, from time to time I will still try, thinking it was just a fluke that the food in question made me sick the last time. But sure enough, let me enjoy some hot wings or nachos with spicy cheese sauce and jalapeno peppers, my stomach will protest violently.

The annual Christmas baking has been a life long loved tradition. Not only do I love to bake, I love to eat what I bake. It would be common for me to make 12 or more different cookies for the holidays along with countless pies and cakes. Of course there were more family members around then. My hubby and I would end up eating all the treats if I made that many now. This would not bode well for us on the next round of blood work. The challenge of baking now is moderation and remembering to gift most of the cookies, not eat them. Cutting back to just three recipes sounds like a sensible compromise. Favorites such as sandtarts, peanut butter cookies and chocolate chips would be great for the family this year. Oh wait. I can=t forget mom=s Rocks or Aunt Eva=s Russian Tea cakes. Wouldn’t oatmeal cookies be healthy? Oh, the challenge of moderation!

However, the greatest challenge for the holidays for me is decorating! Normally by the third week of November, I would have the decorating pretty well finished and would have accomplished it in a weekend. The outside would be festive as well thanks to the assistance of my hubby. At present, all of my autumn and Halloween decorations still adorn the house inside and out and are mocking me that I am falling behind.

Now, my husband reminds me that I do not have to decorate every corner of every room nor do I have to put up and decorate the seven or so trees I have. (I have lost count!) Well, I am not quite ready to accept that yet. I have said as long as I can do it, no matter how long it takes me, I will still deck the halls to the fullest. Yuletide decorations now stay up well beyond Twelfth Night. Last year it was Groundhog=s Day, my husband=s birthday, when the last cartons of my holiday pretties were packed away.

And so, knowing it will take a bit longer, I must face the challenge of decorating head on. With the help of my husband and a few restorative naps, I will be victorious decorating for the season. Following the holidays, the decorations will return to storage by Easter!