A Gentle Start to the New Year
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No matter how quietly we intend on spending the end-of-year festivities, things seem to pop up, and we are swept into the frenzy that runs into the New Year’s resolution season. We had a few sea anchors slowing the rush, but that didn’t mean that we escaped them all.
However, rather than begin the year with late-night reveling or a cold New Year’s Day swim, I try to welcome it in ways with which my body and mind can cope.
Taking Down the Decorations … Slowly
First, we follow the local tradition of leaving up most of the decorations until January 6. I might begin to thin some of them before that, but most of it stays up until Nollaig na mBan (also known as Women’s Little Christmas, according to Discovering Ireland Vacations).
That being said, it takes us a week or more to get everything up. It needn’t all come down and be put away in one day. That wouldn’t happen for me even if it did need to!
Another thing we’ve done these past few years is to keep some of the timed fairy lights around the place until the evenings begin to stretch a bit. Long, dark nights can feel even darker after all the bright colors have been put away for the year. A few strands of warm, white lights (we use battery-operated versions) tucked into a glass jar or vase on a window ledge can relieve the shock of darkness that can fall after the party’s over.
Cleaning Out the Medicine Cabinet
Next, I move to the cupboards — both the spice cupboard in the kitchen and the medicine cabinet in the bathroom. The medication clean-out is a relatively new New Year’s tradition for me that came about when I went looking for one of those “use as needed” prescriptions.
I was surprised (in a happy way) to see that some of my symptom management medications had gone out of date. The happiness came because I hadn’t needed to use them in a while. I’ll admit a bit of frustration because when I did need them, I had to call in for replacements.
Many of us with multiple sclerosis (MS) will have a few of those not-most-days meds in our houses. The changing of the calendar is a nice reminder to get rid of the old and freshen up with new prescriptions.
Most pharmacies will take unused medication back and destroy it safely, which is much better than sending it to a landfill. Never, please, flush medication down the drains. Most wastewater treatment facilities cannot filter out drugs from the water.
Updating the Spice Cupboard
And what do I do in my spice cupboard? Well, every time I purchase a spice, I write the date on it (simply month and year). Any ground spice, I give one year, and whole spices get two. After that, they simply lose their freshness and are uneven in flavor.
I don’t waste them, however. I dump everything into one resealable container and give it a good shake. For the rest of the year, any time I’m grilling or barbecuing foods, I take a handful of the mixed spices and sprinkle them over the coals for a bit of spicy smoke to flavor my food.
Because I’ve been doing this in January or February every year for a while now, many of my spices will need replacing at this time of year. It’s a nice weekend of going to specialty shops (or online shopping from trusted vendors when MS comes calling) at an otherwise dreary time of year, when days and weeks can slip by without me leaving the house much.
A Feeling of Accomplishment
These few gentle traditions of the opening months of a year have helped me to enjoy the slow months but still feel like I’m getting some things done and ready for the next season.
Besides, the world around us can feel harsh and cold at this time of the year. No need to be harsh and cold to ourselves as well.
Wishing you and your family the best of health.
Cheers,
Trevis
My new book, Living Well With Multiple Sclerosis, is now available. Follow me on the Life With MS Facebook page, and read more on Life With Multiple Sclerosis.
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