dianeseattle
Member
We all know how hard it is to get through the holidays--Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas--when the highest calorie entrees and desserts are shared, and guests are encouraged to eat, eat, eat, here, take some home with you, please pass the mashed potatoes, is that homemade, ugh, i need to go on a diet, join a gym, stop eating so much, make new years resolutions....
But for me, the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays are the worst. M Day heralds the end of isolation and depressing weather and signals the beginnings of picnics and barbecues. It also carries a heavy emotional toll because it's the day of visiting graves and speaking memorials. L Day is so exciting for children and the huge migration begins from ball fields and swimming pools and tittering, giggles its way into cinderblock buildings full of secrets and crushes and indoor sports.
And both of these holidays stir up so many emotions and ambitions that people go overboard to silence them with food.
Fortunately, I didn't go grocery shopping last week so I don't have a whole lot of food in the house, and the smell of barbecues from all the neighbors is noticeably absent.
But it's so ironic and infuriating that these holidays are built around food. Yet, we are discouraged from overdoing, or better, encouraged to act like it's any other day. I think I might miss the food more than I feel like diving into introspection and memories and anniversaries.
I hope you are all having a great holiday and no matter what you're eating or doing, I hope you're doing it with joy and without guilt or shame. To those members who have been through emotional upheavals and are really feeling this shift in seasons, my heart is with you.
But for me, the Memorial Day and Labor Day holidays are the worst. M Day heralds the end of isolation and depressing weather and signals the beginnings of picnics and barbecues. It also carries a heavy emotional toll because it's the day of visiting graves and speaking memorials. L Day is so exciting for children and the huge migration begins from ball fields and swimming pools and tittering, giggles its way into cinderblock buildings full of secrets and crushes and indoor sports.
And both of these holidays stir up so many emotions and ambitions that people go overboard to silence them with food.
Fortunately, I didn't go grocery shopping last week so I don't have a whole lot of food in the house, and the smell of barbecues from all the neighbors is noticeably absent.
But it's so ironic and infuriating that these holidays are built around food. Yet, we are discouraged from overdoing, or better, encouraged to act like it's any other day. I think I might miss the food more than I feel like diving into introspection and memories and anniversaries.
I hope you are all having a great holiday and no matter what you're eating or doing, I hope you're doing it with joy and without guilt or shame. To those members who have been through emotional upheavals and are really feeling this shift in seasons, my heart is with you.