A Little Blue

     So yesterday I was feeling a little blue.  And, in my life, even a little blue is too much for me.  I couldn't shake it and I believe my biggest frustration was that I could not put my finger on why.  Of course, one would say, it's the "normal" letdown after Christmas.  That could be part of it.  I began taking down my decorations but that actually made me feel good.  Why is it that those decorations just do not have the appeal after January 1? They are the same decorations that Ron and I would comment on almost daily as to how warm and cozy they made our house.  I am taking things down in stages and will be leaving some soft white lights for what can sometimes be a long January.  

    I can't really blame it on the fact that my kids have come and gone.  I always stay sad the first hour after they leave, but I have learned how to manage that and the importance of letting it happen.  We had a great visit.  We spent a lot of time together wearing our masks even though they all got tested.  We chose to give donations instead of bought gifts this year and spent Christmas morning talking about our choices and why they were personally important to us.  We truly felt the Spirit of Christmas as we gave to others. Robert and Mandy stayed until two days after Christmas and John wound up staying two extra days after that which was wonderful for us.  Also, it is so much easier to say good-bye to my children one at a time.  

    So it wasn't the decorations and it wasn't the kids leaving that totally caused my blues.  I think some of it had to do with the rainy days, which normally I enjoy because I cuddle under a blanket and either read or watch movies.  I think it was two things:  (1) being out of a routine of goals and a rather "now what" feeling and (2) most importantly, my lack of face to face interaction with my friends.  Other than family I thrive on my friendships and take them very seriously.  Researchers are telling us that a big part of getting through this pandemic along with exercise and eating healthy, is our interaction with others. With this being said, I am going to be proactive with setting up some time with friends with our masks on and socially distanced.  The screen visits are okay but nothing to compare with the real face to face conversation. I believe we can be safe together outdoors once it warms up a little and I think we need each other. We need to share our books, our day to day happenings, our worries and our joys.  Maybe we just need to talk about nothing especially important!

    Today I have walked Cooper for close to a mile which is chump miles to some of my friends, but its a great time for us each morning.  I have turned off the tv and have a load of clothes in the dryer.  I am not feeling as "blue" this morning for whatever reasons and am grateful for that.  This doesn't mean I won't feel blue again but the good thing is that I know hope and joy are still out there and I have already experienced some of that today.

    If any of you would like to share how you handle your "blue" days, I would love to hear it.  Just email me at Girlietchr@gmail.com. :)

Until next time,

R.