Sigh…It is that time of year again. The holidays. Easily the most stressful time of year. The weather changes, sweater weather, is introduced, there’s a constant battle of anxiety about holiday planning. Who’s coming over and what will food be serving and how many guests will grace us with their presence. There’s always going to be a particular family member(s) that we all can’t stand nor see eye to eye with. For a long time, I loathed the holidays because I hated the stress of it. Every time someone asked, “How are you and what’s going in your life?”, seemed too personal to answer. I was stuck in hell all year while the next family member was boasting how great life is and what places they traveled to.

The most exciting thing that happened to me this year was a broken hand, a blog and a few episodes of PTSD and worked at the same job. Nothing else in my life changed. I didn’t get married nor had a child or did something extraordinary. My life is the same.

Kudos for those family members that got married or had children or ventured out of the country, but others just live one moment at a time. Like me.

My Thanksgiving aka my birthday is pretty much wasted. Not that I’m bitter, but I will be working the whole day, and I will miss the usual birthday festivities. I can’t cut the cake because I’m working. I can’t sit down and enjoy family time nor Turkey dinner because other retailers care more about making money.

I’ve missed every birthday for the last sixteen years because I worked in retail. Every time, I worked I wouldn’t sing Happy Birthday to my myself. Why would you when you have crowds of people fighting over the last item like it’s Armageddon? I don’t.