-
Is it a Happy Season?
The Holiday Season is here, Yay! We are told and see messages all around us telling us to be grateful, enjoy what we have, and celebrate the holiday spirit. That’s easy for pALS and their families, NOT!
It is human nature to reflect on the past at this time of the year. For many pALS and their families, it is easy to get caught up in recalling everything they have lost due to ALS.
It can be a real challenge to hold it together and focus on all the good in the world at times.
How do you handle the stress of the holidays? What do you look forward to doing over the next month and a half? What accommodations and adjustments have you and your loved ones made in your holiday traditions since having ALS? -
1 Reply
-
Oh my—what a Holiday Season thread! In a smiling way, of course—it is very unique yet similar to every ALS family. We know for sure this is not a disease that just affects the single member with the diagnosis. Rather, it is life & living alterations for the entire constellation of a ‘family’. Shopping, cooking, cleaning, visiting, and so in all require pivots, adaptations, deletions & additions to an ‘new normal’ each & every year. In short, I can summarize this as I spoke to in the ‘hero or survivor’ thread awhile back: pALS & their families are STRIVERS! We will do what we can to maintain the best presence of mind & spirit for every occasion of the season—and those that truly love & support us will understand & appreciate our strive-ability by keeping us in all the loops possible! This IS TRULY about learning to ‘let go’ and be ‘in the moment’ of each holiday event as it transpires each year we participate in our unique way of being ‘ourself’, just as we are & can be. I am totally honest with myself interiorly (that I do not like nor would chose the ALS path I am on), but I fully recognize I am no longer in control of my body workings—only in charge of what I can do about how I react & respond. And I will STRIVE to have the best holiday spirit I can for those I know & love as the reason I keep STRIVING!
-
That was well said Katie. All I want to add is that I treat this as possibly my last Holiday season that I’m near fully functioning. I owe it to my loved ones to do what I can to make this season a fond memory. Happiest of Holidays to all.
Log in to reply.