Anybody else glad it’s over?

... ah, but it's all about being prepared, Maw. Sprouts on yet?!

No I have NOT posted about the C word in July! ????

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Thank you all of those of you who have sent me recovery wishes. It’s very much appreciated.
Of course having this awful virus is very unpleasant, but I do feel for those of you who had Christmas alone this year, particularly if it’s your first year without your husband. To lose your husband and then be plunged into Tier 4 so suddenly, forcing you to be completely alone at this normally family time of year, must have been uniquely awful for you all.As ill as I have been, my husband is still here with me, and as luck would have it he hasn’t been too bad with the virus. However I have felt absolutely dreadful, and it’s taking it’s time to go, so I would say keep yourselves safe ladies, take no chances. Iam you’re right, we’d taken all precautions to protect ourselves and to keep Mum safe as far as it was humanly possible. This has happened because of decisions taken by the Health Service. I won’t bash our NHS because my daughter works in it, but I am saddened by the decisions they took that have led to this.

Glad it’s over, decorations down today,feel like it’s been a nonevent really.....

I'm always glad when it's over with.
This year was no different for me.

I have to admit I enjoyed my Christmas day . We saw the GC open their presents via Zoom had another two Zoom meetings with them and different family members during the day My husband made himself a fillet steak and I had a frozen mousaka , I am always the one to have the family stay with me and cook every days for many days for them plus visitors so really I enjoyed the change . I am glad to still have a DH to share the day with of course but normally I dread the run up to Christmas and long for it to be over . This year it was fine we have had far more miserable ones . I spoke to my brother who usually visits a friend and all his family and he remarked how good it was not to feel he had to entertain everyone. Ill wind indeed.

Chewbacca your comment summed it up perfectly for me, a feeling that I just couldnt put into words,and a feeling I've seen in the eyes of friends and family. The day itself was perfectly pleasant. However it's the feeling that the usual traditional accompaniments to Christmas that give the proverbial comfort and joy didnt feel the same. It feels a separate thing from spending the day alone. I've had Christmases that have followed bereavement and although hard we got through them.
Articles have been written about how mentally we are on permenant alert to the situation. Maybe that's contributing.? Either way roll on 2nd January and back to some sort of normality, however grim!

Hello.I also had my big girl pants on and i am so glad its over.Not only was it so hard watching my 1 year and 3 year old grandchildren for just an hour on their front doorstep open a few parcels because my son and daughter inlaw are a strict no visitors inside since covid because my 3 year old grandson was very ill last year and they having been amazing protecting the children even though its broke my heart and inside i am just crying it was my 59th birthday xmas stupid day.I am promising myself to change the next year before i reach sixty god willing,starting off really well eat a lot less just sat here christmas cake just eaten and now a few sweets so not going so well,but just telling myself it is less cake than usual.I hope we all live to see another xmas and take care.x

I've already started taking mine down marionk. They feel like a parody of what Christmas should be, not what it actually was.

Yes definitely glad it’s over. I was not alone, but my DH is very poorly, needs to be in hospital and desperately not wanting to go back in after the last awful 6 months he has had. I fully understand that but I am exhausted with the worry and responsibility so I will be grateful once the clinics and consultants appointments are back up and running again so we can get some help. I would happily take down all the decorations right now if it was just me.

Arto1s

I’m in the US so Christmas is still very real. So far, we’ve had a great Christmas and intend to continue it into the New Year......

Are you just ignoring the rules that are in place in most States? I have family in three different States and they are very restricted by Covid regulations, in some areas school are still closed and most people are working from home.

My son tells me that a lot of people do not believe that there is a pandemic, despite a current death rate of over three thousand people a day!

We had a lovely Christmas although we missed the wider family - a very long Zoom version of our traditional Boxing Day quiz was almost an acceptable substitute - but today our energy levels have plummeted and we’re both feeling quite low and tired.

I can totally understand you Maw.

I too ,did my level best to make the best of it.

We facetimed everyone , we cooked a full Christmas dinner, we opened our presents and pretended to be enjoying ourselves but for the first time in my life I can honestly say this morning. Thank God that's over.

I love Christmas. I love everything about it and to all those who say 'its just one day' it is but its a day stuffed full of tradition and joy in the company of my family . If Santa didn't bring me anything but I got to be with them then Id be fine with that.

I didn't have any fun I just went through the motions.

I cant wait to have a Christmas 'do-over' with them all asap.

First time spending Christmas Day with OH on our own since we married 50 years ago next March !!! Froze in DD's garden for a couple of hours in the morning then came home to prawn cocktail etc. Should have been a bowl of hot soup - took me the rest of the day to thaw out! A very peculiar Christmas - hopefully all will be back to normal by the time the next one comes around.

MawBe - lots of us are feeling like that, I think. I spent Xmas day with my daughter and her teenagers and it was lovely. But back home, it’s back to my lonely self

MawBe, you have such a good way with words to express emotions. I am blessed in having mr i with me, and we were able to walk to daughter 2's house a mile away, where we saw daughter 1 and 2,both their partners and their four young children. We stood inside but by the open patio doors. It was wonderful but also so painful, we felt we were risking almost ten months of isolation but longed to see our family.
I'm so sorry to hear your plans were scuppered by this awful virus. I hope your grandson makes a speedy recovery and the rest of the family stay well.

Maddyone - sending positive vibes. What a disastrous thing to happen to you and your husband. I remember how careful you have been. Please keep us informed if you can.

Thanks again MawBe for your OP - hits home for so many of us. (other than the US poster who doesn't get it!)

I’m always glad when it’s over but I’m in tier 4 so staying home is the only option for the foreseeable future.

Sending love and a virtual hug to you ?

To everyone who spent Christmas alone this Christmas ? and (( )) . This was the first year without DH , last Christmas Day was the last time he saw the grandchildren as he went downhill rapidly on Boxing Day and died on NY eve . So a tough time some tears, and lots of good memories, but I was not alone as my DD and family were still able to be with me as my “bubble” , so much luckier than many . I missed my DS and family very much though as we had all planned to be together ( Then tier 4 came along)
I have been thinking about NY eve , DD wants to be with me but I think I will spend it quietly on my own with the TV , I don’t think I could keep up the jolly face for the DGD all evening to be honest, DH and I always spent it on our own latterly, having a nice meal seeing in the New Year , last year I sat by his side at home holding his hand whilst he slipped slowly away free from pain at last .

It was quite a nice Christmas, but much quieter than usual. I visited my sister after lunch and stayed until about 9 pm instead the usual midnight, There was just four of us, sister, BIL, and her middle son (his girlfriend went to her mothers, and elder son visited his ILs, younger son at his GFs). We had a buffet tea and did a quiz with missing members by Zoom, technology set up by others.
It's usually much noisier but that's all right. No matter how enjoyable it is, it's always nice to get home.

No.

I'm always sort of glad when Christmas and the New Year period is over, even though we've had a nice pleasant quiet time. Not sure why, but when the decs and tree are all packed away again on Jan 2nd (always) I always feel like a little weight has lifted and things are "normal" again.

It must have been hard maw! Even though there were the two of us, there were still big gaps.

What this silly situation has brought home to me is that our children and grandchildren love us. They kept us safe, sent nice presents (we don't do adult Christmas presents) and kept in touch via video calls and whatsapps.

Not the same at all but proof they care and it's obvious yours do too maw.

Absolutely Mawbe but living in a tier 4 area nothing is likely to change for some time to come.