Post ChristmasTraditions

There's a pattern to human society and last weekend the Annual Post Christmas Family Beatings were kicked offed; pun intended. Ah, yes after the wonderful spirit of Christmas love and forgiveness has worn thin within 24-48 hours family members begin fist fights and domestic disputes. Over indulgence of alcohol, sugar and the general malaise of spending one too many hours in the company of relatives; which are barely tolerable in the short term, spark short fuses causing tempers to flare and fur flies.

But usually only after dark. Everyone is busy eating, sleeping, partying or shopping during the day so when the boredom of nightfall sets in there's always a fight to pick with your in-laws for entertainment. Or your cousins, or parents, or siblings, or even your neighbors if your desperately bored.

The week of Christmas tends to be either dead or deadly for EMS. We either do not much of anything cause no one (even the frequent fliers) want to go to the hospital on Christmas or we're running lots of dead or dying patients because of the stress of the holidays. A time which is supposed to be happy and fun causes many, many people overwhelming stress and loneliness which in turn increases the death toll through suicide, accidents, poor decisions, and exacerbation of pre-existing health problems such as high blood pressure.

Then right after Christmas day the assaults between family members begin due to everyone's last nerve snapping just after sunset; and we run calls all night.

And here's the real irony of it all. Since everyone wants to believe how wonderful Christmas is supposed to be~ when one of these terrible events happen in their family they're all stunned and exclaim "How could something terrible like this happen on Christmas????"

Guess what...something like this is always terrible and it happens everyday to someone, somewhere. Death and fate don't take holidays and humans create even more of their own stress during this (cue music) most wonderful time of the year.

Don't get me wrong...I love Christmas! I love all my family traditions and spending time with everyone but ya gotta keep it in perspective. Stress is still deadly and you are your own best health care attendant. Things are just things, dinner can be ordered out if need be, don't worry about what someone else is wearing or buying or not buying or giving or not giving....blah, blah, blah. Just be content that you and your family are happy and healthy and be grateful for today. The rest is just commercial Christmas flocking anyhow.