Happy holidays?

The festive season for a South African doctor 🎅🏽

When we were children we all looked forward to this time of year... the presents, the parties, the all you could eat buffet, Santa Clause. We were counting down the days and being extra nice so that we could be rewarded come Christmas morning. No matter what happened (i.e. what gift you got) you knew there would be no school and fun to be had.

Then you grew up and found out that Santa didn't exist, you recovered from that revelation because you still got gifts and yummy food and parties and this carried on until you graduated.

After graduation you got your first salary, everything was great. Christmas this year was going to be awesome, you finally had money $$$ 🤑. You could go on a grown up holiday and contribute and actually buy gifts for your family with your own money (not the money they gave you to buy presents for them).

Then the December roster came out and everybody realised that no-one was going anywhere but work 😢. Maybe, you were even the unlucky person working on Christmas day.

While others were singing "All I want for Christmas is yoooou", usually very off key, and commemorating the birth of Baby Jesus, you were doing chest compressions to the beat of "Staying alive" (to ensure that you gave adequate compressions to the inebriated holiday-goers).

So how does one keep the Christmas spirit alive when your experience is so at odds with the conventional. The important thing is to keep first things first, remember the essence of Christmas : faith, family, giving. Celebrate in whatever small way you can, dress up, give presents, call loved ones, remind yourself of what Christmas is all about. You may not be able to do what you usually do but don't let the holidays go by uncelebrated.

As doctors we are often too busy to reflect and this time of year gives us an excuse to slow down, even if it is only mentally or only a fraction, and be grateful for what we have. It also give you time to #planyournextmove.

Happy Holidays 🎄,

MP