Commentary from March 15, 2017
Uggh. Christmas. I’m fortunate enough to be in Japan so I don’t feel the Christmas pressure as I did in the past, but reading my feeds from friends and random people on the internet it hasn’t gone away in my absence. I made the mistake of going back to Canada in the winter about five years ago and never again. It’s a great source of stress for everyone involved and this strip only touches on it.
These strips are fun to draw and I’d rather be doing these than two person conversation strips which are the foundation of this comic. It’s also fun to draw characters that may only appear in one panel ever, for example, the aunt in the third panel is based on Voldemort and his embrace of Malfoy in the final Harry Potter movie. I also made sure to put in the ignorant dig at Robin’s orientation that a lot of people have to deal with during relative visiting season.
In depression comix, stress it seems, likes to come in boxes.
These strips are fun to draw and I’d rather be doing these than two person conversation strips which are the foundation of this comic. It’s also fun to draw characters that may only appear in one panel ever, for example, the aunt in the third panel is based on Voldemort and his embrace of Malfoy in the final Harry Potter movie. I also made sure to put in the ignorant dig at Robin’s orientation that a lot of people have to deal with during relative visiting season.
In depression comix, stress it seems, likes to come in boxes.
oh boy, this hits home
You read my mind.
All I want for Christmas is the courage to pull the trigger.
May I suggest pulling a party favor toy instead? Sorry to see this. *hugs*
I’ve been there. Please don’t, I know the depression doesn’t want you to believe it (a year and a half ago I never would have believed it know matter who told me) but it can get better. It took me 40 years to find what worked to help me. Please keep trying and don’t give up hope.
Yup. Totally.
I’m like: “Can’t wait for the holidays to be over.”
Everyone else: “Why? Holidays are great! Let’s go shopping!”
Bah humbug.
In previous centuries, Christmas was celebrated with a feast, then music, dancing and games. Much less costly and stressful than gift-giving, and probably not so much after-Christmas let-down. Wish we could go back to that.
It isn’t a panacea, but it helps me a little bit: Christmas is 12 days long.
No, seriously, it is. December 25th is the first day of Christmas. The last day of Christmas is January 5th. If your cards and presents arrive before January 6th, they’re on time. I have said this very often to my relatives, and the ones who don’t roll their eyes at all the kooky things I do (i.e., the things I do because I’m not magically happy peppy and okay) are starting to kind of agree with me!
And here’s something that I think many of us could use to make our lives a lot better: There is no sacred obligation to endure the company of people who don’t like the person you are or try to please them by giving them things you can’t afford. You are allowed to decline invitations that make you cringe. Furthermore, you do not have to explain why. “Thanks, but I have other plans, and no, I’m not interested in discussing them” is a complete answer. And if they demand that you attend anyway, you are allowed to block them. No matter what heartstrings they may try to pull, if avoiding the depressing and tense parts of Christmas constitutes self-care for you, then you have the right to do that.
You can spend Christmas in the bathtub with a stack of escapist novels and a box of chocolates. You can spend it at a Blue Christmas service, crying in the back pews with a box of Kleenex clutched in your arms. You can ignore it entirely. You can arrange to have a Christmas dinner on January 2 with the people you really want to see. You are allowed to nope out of the entire Christmas ritual and avoid anybody who tries to guilt you into subjecting yourself to it.
TL;DR: Things I wish somebody had told me years ago.
I think the worst part about Christmas is the music constantly played. Like, shit the fuck up already!
The emphasis on man…. ouch
she doesn’t need a man! her gf is more than enough!