Special Holidays & Summer Vacations & Fibromyalgia
Two holidays which occur around the first of July for Canadians and Americans are Canada Day and Independence Day. Summer is upon us, and for those of us with fibromyalgia, these holidays can either be enjoyable or just add more work and stress to our lives.
Since I am an American who lives in Canada, I celebrate both of these important holidays with my family. Canada Day is usually spent at my in-law's house, and around their pool. This requires little work for me, but the hour drive to their house is very tiring, and I usually end up sleeping for most of it. With my two older children both working during the evenings, they aren't available as much they used to be to help their grandmother with a meal for Canada Day, and thus, the workload has returned to my shoulders as she becomes older.
Independence Day used to be celebrated by crossing the border and watching the fireworks, but now I just make a special meal and turn on the television to watch different celebrations of music and fireworks. The special meal has been scaled down to something easy for me to fix, or I get my children to help if they are available.
These two important holidays have changed over the years due to my inability to do as much as I used to do when my children were younger. Since my children have dual citizenships, I have encouraged them to learn and show respect for both of their countries. It is important for all of us to be proud of our own countries, and these two holidays are celebrated with picnics, fireworks, parades, and time spent either with family or friends.
Those of us with fibromyalgia still have to pace ourselves during these holidays and throughout the summer months of personal vacations or other activities. Since I never know when I may go into a flare of pain or fatigue, it is difficult to make specific plans for a specific day. I can prepare food ahead of time, but sometimes it is easier to just go out to eat or have food delivered. Spending one of these holidays with family and friends can be either relaxing or stressful, depending upon the circumstances.
The weather tends to affect my own fibromyalgia, and extreme heat is very exhausting for me now. The constant weather changes that occur in British Columbia, where I live, are a source of my many flares of pain and fatigue. Not everyone who has fibromyalgia is affected by the weather, but for those of us who are, it can be an up and down time for us.
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