With the holidays just around the corner, I’ve found myself feeling tight on time and energy—not just because I’m busy getting ready for all the festivities, but also because this time of year plain saps it out of me. Always has, ever since… well, probably since I’ve had to worry about paying bills and coordinating multiple family gatherings during an increasingly cooling month. Not a big fan of December, though it’s still not as bad as January.
In all this time, I don’t think I’ve ever planned for a holiday break. Technically, maybe the week that doesn’t exist (between Christmas and New Years) counts as a break, but I mean a true winter break like schools get. I used to think that was for children, you know? Adults weren’t allowed breaks. Not two week long ones, anyway. That’s asking too much, right? But this year, I’ve seen the light: Children aren’t the only ones getting that break every year—plenty of adults work at the schools and get a similar reprieve.
Genius! That paradigm shift couldn’t have come at a better time.
I’ve Been Learning How To Adult Better
Have you been going through life thinking you know how to be an adult, and then something pops up that reveals you’ve been doing it all wrong? Yeah, that’s been my Wednesday afternoons lately. What I thought would be therapy to heal my paralyzing traumas has quickly turned into a one-on-one class for Adulting 101.
I’m not complaining, either. The more I learn how to properly adult, the less ashamed I am about doing it wrong before—because I literally didn’t know. “Real” adults understand that and forgive the ignorance, knowing the shame spiral just makes things worse. And I’m using the term “real” unofficially here. No therapist is going to back me on real versus fake adults. They should, but they won’t. Pretty sure it’s a bit too polarizing to dip a toe in that opinionated pond.
Not for me, though. Because there really is a difference. And I was a fake adult myself for the last 40 years. Still kinda am. But now I want to adult better from here, because it has a hell of a lot of benefits.