Feeling the Crush

So, is it just me, or is everyone feeling The Crush right now?
The clock is ticking. There are always still presents yet to buy.
Family members are moody. Extended Family is leaning on me for things completely out of my control. I'm expected to bake a sh1t load of something yummy for the people I work with and have it all ready to go by Monday. I need to try to keep the house clean all week with a child home from school. Have a ton of gifts to wrap and no good place to do it. And if I hear one more awful version of O Holy Night I may have to murder somebody.

For some reason, this Christmas Season has taken on a different texture than those of the past.
There's the same old stresses, compounding like dominoes. That same feeling of aloneness.
The same listlessness that always appears weeks before Christmas and tries to linger. Thoughts of loved ones lost, Christmases Past playing through my mind in full technicolour.
Stress. Stress. Stress.

But I do have to say that the rewards have been greater this year as well.
We actually started a Christmas Club Bank Account this last year, so we're not going to have to spend our entire December paychecks to finance presents this year instead of paying bills like we ought to.

And my coworkers have really helped to keep my spirits up by doing something unusual.
We had a "Decorating Competition" amongst the Family Practice Department. Each of our suites had a day this week where we had to decorate our Nursing Area (back behind the scenes where patients never dwell) for Christmas. Everyone in each suite had to come up with a theme and plan how the decorating will be done. It sounds like an extremely lame idea when I put it into writing. Especially when you consider that the decorations could only stay up for 1 hour so that everyone could come and take a look. But - Holy Smackers! Each suite did a gorgeous job of totally transforming their suite into a Winter Wonder Land. It was absolutely amazing. I'll have to ask Dr. House to forward me her pictures of it so that I can post them. That's the only way you'd get the gist. And I now have a mental snap shot of all of the doctors wearing Reindeer Antlers and funny Santa Hats. Who'da Thunk?

I think that next year we ought to do this in the Clinic Lobby and actually leave it up for an entire day so that the patients can see it as well. Seriously. It was like a Macy's Department Store Window in each suite. Each was a labour of love and it showed.

And speaking of labour - - this week, I got to witness a profound miracle. Our friend Berni has for many years cried that she'll never find a man she'll want to marry, and never have a baby of her own. And coming from a family of 12 siblings, these things are very important to her. And I'm happy to say, this week, Berni and her new Husband Bill became the proud parents of Beautiful Baby Sarah. All 6 pounds, one ounce of her is pure angelic. I am so happy for them. I know things will not be easy, especially since this is a "Late-in-life Baby". But I can say from experience with our Jerry, that they will be so much more attentive of all the little moments, and savour the beauty of this amazing gift.

Yeah. This is a tough time of year. But I suppose it's nothing that a few extra hugs can't get us through.And if that doesn't work, there's always Eggnog to look forward to!