Well, good morning campers.
I hope the Christmas season is treating you well. Just a quick update from me. I am in fact still standing. Research-less and therapist-less but still upright and doing fairly well.
Christmas is not my favourite time of year, in fact I don't know any children of divorced parents (or divorced parents themselves) who genuinely love it as it brings a lot of issues big and small as you swing between defaulting into trying to please everyone or risk blowing it all up and falling out!
We are again hosting this year, despite last year vowing to go away for Christmas and have bit of break from all the madness, just for one year. This Christmas will (like most) be challenging an in particular without my old friend alcohol to rely on to smooth the edges. It's not my first AF Christmas but looking back last year seemed easier, perhaps it was the novelty (and all the puddings/chocolate!).
I am not complaining. I just need to be mindful that I need different coping strategies which I hope to share shortly in case they help anyone else newly alcohol-free this Christmas.
My final thought for now is that our family won't be around for ever so I need to focus on making memories, and they don't need to all be perfect. Plus this year I am really conscious that there are many people in the UK who spend Christmas alone and also lots for whom it is a practical and financial struggle and hosting family is not an option. I am glad that I decided to carve out some time to volunteer with SHOUT earlier this morning to help people who are struggling to try and it has helped me get some perspective .
Image: Print available from Etsy