The Easy, Gentle, ME/CFS Friendly 2021 Christmas Thread

[Dot]

Hello,
Our ME/CFS Christmas Event has begun. No hurry, just pop in whenever you have some time and energy for a little bit of no stress Christmas.

Heard of 'Slow Food" or 'Slow TV'? This is our Slow Christmas. It won't wind up until Boxing Day.

If you have energy to share, your wishes, stories, pictures, memories will be much appreciated.

Christmas is celebrated in so many different ways, every family has different traditions. Solstice celebrations are welcome too. Let's share and make it a celebration that every ME/CFS person can be part of.

Don't forget the Vent Thread is available when needed!

[Dot]

Christmas Trees
Did you have one when you were a child?
Do you have one now?

When I was a child we had an artificial Christmas Tree that my oldest brother and sister bought after doing odd jobs to save up the money. It was quite small and it was packed up each year into its original box.

This year, nothing! Too hard.

[gretch]

@dot as a child the Christmas tree was a huge branch chopped off from one of the gum trees. It only lasted a day or two in the 40 degree heat but have fond memories of trying to make a gum tree look chrimassy.

Happy Slow Christmas

[emsarah]

@dot I've always been a bit of an Xmas Grinch...I kind of hate tinsel. It's so itchy haha.
When I moved in with my partner we did get an artificial tree and ornaments (no tinsel haha) and it looked pretty. This year we haven't put anything up though because I fell off the wagon.

[emsarah]

@gretch I love this! Did it smell nice?

[Dot]

@gretch Beautiful! I immediately imagine the eucalyptus scent too.

[Dot]

@emsarah ha, you are wonderfully environmental too as I am pretty sure tinsel is as problematic as glitter.
You are my no tree comrade this year.

[gretch]

@emsarah yes, it certainly did.

[emsarah]

@dot haha yes that's a good way to put it! I also hate bon bons haha. Last year I was able to make home made ones with toilet rolls and chocolate and my toilet paper I buy is wrapped in fun patterns so I re-used that. I hate those little plastic toys you get in the shop ones!!! I wanted to make them again but don't have the juice...

@gretch lovely

[Dot]

Another sharing question, did you grow up with Christmas Eve rituals?

We didn't put the tree up until Christmas Eve (seven kids, sensible mum) and we all piled our gifts under the tree ready to share out on Christmas morning. So exciting even though we only bought small things (pocket money). We'd watch carols by candlelight on TV.

[Glimmer]

@dot You’ve got me thinking. I don’t recall a Christmas tree in my childhood. I’ll have to ask my sisters. My mother was Santa and she used to creep into our bedroom (we’d pretend we were asleep) and put our one present at the end of the bed. We’d also have a sock (would find the biggest) that was filled in the morning with fruit and nuts. We didn’t have a TV during the first 12 years of my life, and when we did, it was only on from 5 - 8.30pm. How times have changed.

[iris]

@glimmer as a child my favorite thing at Christmas was putting on nativity plays at the nursing home

[Dot]

@glimmer Those are lovely Christmas memories and so deliciously healthy with fruit and nuts!
It is nearly snap with TV, our family was the last of everyone I knew to get a TV. I was 11, although before that we were sometimes lent one over the holidays. (Before that we were mostly in bed by 7:30) Those were the days!

@iris what a favourite thing! And so lovely for the people in the nursing home.

Well it is Christmas morning and some of us will be among the many people in the world who have a limited or no Christmas because of ill health or other rotten things happening.
Others of us will be making little bits of Christmas meaning as we can. Precious religious observation, special food, time with the least dysfunctional of our family ( ) enjoying the excitement of little children.

I'm off to have a festive meal with three sisters, two partners and a nephew, plus my daughter's family of four. There will be a variety of people struggling there, me with ME/CFS, three people for whom socialising is tricky because of autism, another couple who have had health scares this year.
But we let go of expectations and have rooms that people can retreat to for a rest (hooray for a big house) and made food as easy as we could (but still delicious).

Yikes, I'd better go and get ready in my slow CFS way. Sending best wishes to every one.

[Dot]

Haha

[iris]

@dot made me laugh. Happy Christmas Dot and all

[Daffy_Dave]

What a wonderful thread @Dot (and a great joke - here's wishing everyone as peaceful and relaxing a Christmas as possible - take care of yourselves as best circumstances allow (it's not an easy time of year for us MEEPs) and thank you for being such an excellent community

[gretch]

Wishing everyone some extra gentle moments to hold on to.

[Nat]

Hi everyone,

@dot, my family have Christmas Eve dinner every year and after we finish eating, we each get to open 1 present so we can share the Chrissy joy together as a family.

I hope everyone has had a lovely day and managed some Chrissy cheer today.

[Dot]

Happy Boxing Day,
I was too exhausted, when I got home from my sisters, to even think of writing anything here or anywhere.
(It was lovely to see family but, as always, too much stress, too much eating and not enough time for easy catch ups.) Still we were all doing the best we could, and all showing love. So that is the main thing.

Cheers @Daffy_Dave what lovely wishes are shared here. Such an excellent community!

@gretch Lovely, yes, holding on!

@Nat That does sound like an joyful gentle Christmas, thanks for sharing

Sending out good wishes to everyone who is exhausted today, and thinking there just might be some smug ME/CFSers who managed to avoid Christmas completely and so are not depleted. Gold medals for you!

[Lau_EA_Aus]

My Grandmother always made our Christmas pudding and has passed the tradition down to my mum. Flaming the pudding is a highlight for every generation to watch