Elder Orphans And Christmas
Have you ever thought about skipping Christmas? I did a blog post last year where I pondered, Is Christmas Worth The Effort? I decided I could take it or leave it. But I don't want to rain on anyone else's parade.
Some people love the Christmas season. Others dread it. I fall somewhere in the middle. I loved it as a kid. But there are no kids in my life now. To me it's just another day, except I get together with relatives.
Since I don't do the usual cards, decorations or gifts, that is what Christmas now boils down to for me – family.
Unfortunately, most of my remaining family is elderly. There will come a day, sooner rather than later, when I will not have anyone to celebrate Christmas with. The Christmas part doesn't bother me. I have many happy childhood memories to sustain me. But it's daunting, even for a loner like me, to realize that I will soon be an elder orphan.
As the name implies, an elder orphan is a single senior without immediate family. In my case, all those who knew me from birth will be gone. Elder orphans can still have some kind of support system though. It can be friends, some distant relatives, or even a pet. They aren't always alone.
Not that being alone is the end of the world. But it does require a little extra planning and effort. For example, take what steps you can to be financially secure. Take care of your health so you can remain independent. And maintain a support group, whether that's family, or friends, or both.
Being an elder orphan doesn't have to automatically make you an object of pity. Your life is what you make of it. I've known elderly people who have had all kinds of tragedy and hardship in their life. But they still manage to find joy in the world and the people around them.
I've also known elderly people (and some not so elderly) who are full of anger and bitterness (whether or not they had family). They may even drive their family and friends away with their unhappiness. Now, that is someone to be pitied.
I'm making an effort these days to meet new people and make new friends. While still keeping in touch with my family, and maintaining friendships I've had for decades.
Lately, I've been thinking about how I no longer have any young people in my life. So, that's my new goal. Meet some young people. I'm sure I could learn a lot from them. And maybe I could give them some advice in return. (I love giving unsolicited advice. A privilege of age.)
It might also do me some good to watch children open Christmas presents. Is there anything happier than a child opening presents? Maybe I'll give this Christmas thing another chance.
What do you think? How do you feel about Christmas?
I’m a Scrooge.