Holiday depression

Christmas has a strong tendency to irritate me. I get grumpy and depressed.

This year is particularly bad. There are some things still unresolved that I don’t want to talk about and there are some really bad things going down.

I have three first cousin’s. They are my mom’s brother’s children. Larry was always the closest to me. He was closer in age and very smart and funny. Cousin Larry died day before yesterday on Christmas Eve.

Just a few days ago while I was in Idaho I learned he went into hospice care a few miles from where I live in the Seattle area. I planned to visit after I got back. Perhaps today or tomorrow. Then I got an email from Larry’s brother that he died as my brothers, Dad, and I were driving home from visiting my mom in the rehab center on Christmas Eve.

Mom broke her hip a couple weeks ago and needs extra care and therapy after the surgery. She also has Alzheimer’s.

A couple hours ago I got an email that Mom has been transferred to the emergency room. A little while later a follow up call and email gave me more details. She had a mild heart attack, there is fluid in her lungs, and she is having difficulty breathing.

There were some really nice things that happened too but this is turning out to be a “Christmas to remember.”

Share

4 thoughts on “Holiday depression

  1. Hang in there Joe, you are not alone in the Christmas blues. My Uncle passed at Thanksgiving, my brother in law on 21 Dec, and a colleague at work on 20 Dec. A couple of decades ago, my grandmother chose Christmas eve as her departure date. There seems to always be a shadow over the holiday season as a result.

    The season is always stressful, we just need to make the best that we can out of the highs and lows.

  2. Sometimes life just sucks. Sometimes it sucks worst when you are hoping for the best. I am sorry for your loss. The time we have with loved ones is never enough.

  3. Joe your Christmas sucked much worse than mine I was just cranky because my wife was visiting her parents in CA. I’m sorry for your loss and hope your mom gets bettter soon.

  4. Alzheimer’s is particularly nasty. It seems to be a frequent visitor in our family tree. It robs us of the things that make us individuals.
    I’m thinking of you now, best wishes for the new year.

Comments are closed.