It seems the weather has been much like my personality lately. Lovely two days a week and downright cruel the other five. ;) I've been crabby a lot. It's just that time of year for me. I enjoy the change of the seasons and the holidays about as much as I enjoy a tequila hangover. Just the thought of having to decorate a Christmas tree causes my heart rate to increase. Exponentially. I've been trying to convince my family to call off Christmas for years. For some reason, the codependents refuse to give up Christmas morning. They refuse to even go with my brilliant idea of buying a Martha Stewart 24" pre-lit tree that can be stored in the hall closet and only pulled out when needed. No, no. The codependents want the tree that goes to the ceiling and all the lights and the candles and the stockings and to make the cookies on Christmas Eve. Then they wake up at a positively unseemly hour. And it's over.
I have to keep focused during the holidays. It doesn't matter how much I want to call it off; these days are about making my children happy and helping them create memories. I look at pictures from sunny days and remember the warmth and joy. I fake my way through the trees and cookies and songs. I make hot chocolate and buy candy canes. I may not like the holidays, but the codependents are worth faking it.