Season to be Joyful?

So, it’s December which means Christmas is officially everywhere you turn. Personally, I have mixed feelings about the festive period. When things are going good in your life, Christmas is great but when things aren’t so good, Christmas makes it worse.

For me, December is normally a boozy affair where I devour every kind of novelty chocolate because Christmas is only once a year after all!

This is my first Christmas with Interstitial Cystitis so things will be a little (a lot) different. I’ll hold back on the booze and chocolate and just pray my bladder copes with gravy over my Christmas dinner because there’s no way I’m going without!

I’m going to try making an IC friendly cheesecake for Christmas Day dessert. The horrified look on my mum’s face when I said I wouldn’t be having her prized trifle was too much to bear. So, as a compromise, I’m dusting off my non-existent apron and getting in the kitchen. I intend to follow this recipe. I’ll leave out the lemon juice and decorate with blueberries and white chocolate shavings. It seems simple and sounds sensational but I’ve never made a cheesecake so fingers crossed. Secretly, I’m actually doing everyone a favour as the only person who likes my mum’s trifle is my mum!

I’ll be glad when Christmas is over to be honest. It just serves as an in your face reminder that everything in my life has changed and I don’t need reminding thanks. It’s hard to get excited when I’ll be missing out on things I used to take for granted. Whilst everyone is at parties getting tipsy on bubbles and scoffing nibbles, I’ll be the one nursing water wishing I could join in. At least in January, I’ll be on par with everyone as they turn wine into water trying to detox.

There won’t just be me not looking forward to the season loved by all. Lots of people, for whatever reason, would much rather Christmas could be skipped over and forgotten. It’s these people who have my sympathy because as much as you might try, there really is no getting away from the fat, jolly man dressed in red.

Everyone calls me Scrooge because of my anti-Christmas views and I get it. Not liking Christmas doesn’t go down well and those not in favour are looked upon as miserable outcasts. No one stops to ask you why, they just stare at you with a face of shock and disgust. I’ve lost count of the number of people threatening to land on my doorstep with decorations if I don’t put any up. This may make me sound like the Grinch and honestly, I’m nowhere near that bad. I’m just really not bothered this year and feel I have a valid reason not to be excited over tinsel and baubles.

As everyone knows, I try to be as positive about life as possible, so I’m not going to let the sound of jingle bells take that away. I’m not sitting here on my tiny violin setting light to Christmas cards or anything but just highlighting a little more kindness to those not looking forward to Christmas would be nice. If someone isn’t in the mood for celebrating, I’m sure there’s a good reason why.

Hopefully, by the time Christmas 2017 rolls around, I’ll have a glass of champagne in one hand and a mince pie in the other. That’s the dream!

Emma x