5 reasons why things are better than this time last year

Maybe it's something to do with Christmas. Maybe it's just this time of year that hacks me off, SAD or whatever it is. I'll blame it on that, a combination of how the winter makes me feel and how ill the winter tends to make grandparents feel. That's my explanation for why this period, these two weeks leading up to Christmas have sucked so royally these last couple of years.

Dunno. Bit of a shit coincidence really. I'm getting the most horrendous sense of deja vu. So here's the differences, here's what's not the same:

1) This year's granny isn't dead yet. In fact, she's even showing signs of improvement. Hah. Take that grim reaper, we're fighting back in 2005.

2) I haven't been sick this December. Granted last week's caffeine induced nausea was almost exactly a year since the infamous 'Travel Lodge' incident that followed my nan's funeral (which is creepy, by the way), but I wasn't actually sick. There was the Pepto Bismol, the bargaining with God, the hugging of the toilet bowl but everything stayed where it should be. That's a big step-up from last year.

3) I'm in the start of a relationship this year, rather than the end of one. It's one thing less to get me down. This year, I have a new boyfriend and an old boyfriend who's now a best friend instead. How can I not be thankful for that?

4) This year, I'm leaning on God rather than bawling him out. As fun as it is giving the middle finger to the almighty in times of crisis, I think this is more what he had in mind.

5) I'm coping this time. Maybe not very well, maybe I could find better ways, but I'm getting on anyway. It's sort of encouraging to think that, if this whole 'everything going tits up just before Christmas' thing is gonna become a yearly occurence, at least it's getting easier each time round.

It's all gonna be fine.