Sunday, November 1, 2009

Coping, as Daylight Saving Time Ends


Last night we had to turn the clocks back and turn the page on the calendars forward. Being the neurotic freak that I am, I did this all 12 hours earlier than necessary, confusing everyone in my midst.
I don't cope well with the annual slide down the slope to winter, but I'm getting better. Here's an example of how.
There was a time, after I had surgery on my leg in June of 2006, when I would use Bailey's Irish Creme as creamer in my coffee. Every morning.
(I didn't see anything wrong with this. I guess it just enhanced the effect of all the other meds I was on, and my doctor did tell me to 'snow myself' so I'd stay still enough to heal...)

That spring turned to summer, and summer into fall. As winter approached, my man would come home from work at times to find me under the covers with the heat turned up to nursing home levels and all the lights in the house off. I still don't know why he stuck around, but it's likely due to his generousity, kindness, and self-awareness. No one is perfect; we all are broken in some place.

I must remind myself - as the days grow shorter and colder and grayer, and things that should be resolved by now drag on and on with no resolution in sight - that my coping mechanisms have improved since those times 3 years ago, however marginally.

Though sometimes I still have a craving for Bailey's in my coffee.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

A little Baileys in the coffee is still good on weekends. I had to stop going over to my parents house for brunch because they are stuck in that mode where they feel a need to get their guests drunk.

Jeff