Whew, the Holidays are Over..as is 2023

That Little Voice

I’m exhaling a huge sigh of relief and tapping my toes in celebration as I wave goodbye to 2023 and the holiday season.

I’m thinking age is the reason for my glee at this ending. Afterall, I lived through the past year and am amazed and delighted I’m through the first week of the new year.

If the next 51 weeks are as good as this one has been, then I say, ‘Bravo! I Made It.’

The reason age plays a part in my analysis is because it seems I don’t have the energy nor the interest in doing the hundreds of things I once did. For instance, baking a turkey and making dressing for the back-to-back family gatherings I once enjoyed seems overwhelming.

The planning, buying, and preparing all those dishes is hard work. And for someone who doesn’t enjoy making toast or setting a table with the proper china, silverware and crystal, it all seems a bit overwhelming.

I find holiday meal deliveries and eating on paper plates much easier, less mentally challenging, and a minimum amount of time cleaning the kitchen, leaving a longer time for a much-needed nap.

A friend noted she sends out about 125 Christmas cards annually. I don’t know that many people, and if I did, not more than five would be interested in knowing I am still alive, or remember who I am.

That energetic friend is in her 60s, and 20 years ago I may have wanted to mail 125 holiday messages, but again, I didn’t know that many folks.

Another change I attribute to age is my lack of imagination in purchasing gifts. I remember I once had a creative bent in finding the perfect item for each person. Today I find it difficult deciding on whether to give my close friend a Starbucks or an Amazon gift card. Some decisions have become very challenging.

The reality of aging came this week when another of my limited number of friends phoned to remind me she was celebrating her birthday on that very day. Now, I should have remembered her special day, after all, we’ve been friends since we were in our 30s…some 50 years ago. She’s celebrated her birthday every year on the same day, and most years I remember to send her a card, a gift or perhaps call her. This year, I failed the remember test.

I missed more than her birthday; I also forgot to look at my calendar to see if there was something I should recall.

We had a nice gossip session, but after hanging up, I wondered who I had just spent an hour chatting with.