A friend of mine sent me a message warning me not to do too much this holiday season like standing for hours cooking. Here’s the thing: I’m not good at following instructions.

When I am feeling good, which simply means very little pain, I do everything my body will allow. I catch up on cleaning, cooking and organizing around the house. Lately, I find that my joints are screaming at me the next day… and sometimes the day after that.

I have always treated my autoimmune disease as something that I had but also as something that doesn’t define or limit me. However, the truth is that aging combined with it is starting to make basic tasks tough. This is hard for me to accept and make allowances for so I can still be productive.

So, I will cook but I may spread it out over a few days. I will clean but maybe one room at a time. I will rest when I need to rest. Yet, I will still have a killer Christmas while preserving my health. 

#spoonie #chronicillness #chronicpain #autoimmunedisease #uglychristmassweater #christmas #christmassweatercountdown