Online Reporter
Fadzayi Maposah
Correspondent
People are preparing for the long holidays ahead. Some are going all out to ensure that it is memorable.
Towns are a buzz of activity. Early in the morning, music will be blaring at full blast. Shop doors are opening very early these days. Business owners are willing to wake up early so as to catch the shoppers and maximise their profits.
No-one seems to be sleeping. Everyone is always up, some are up to make money and some are up to go and give those making money their money. See how many times the word money has been used in the last sentence? It is what is driving the festive season.
Money is changing hands fast.
What are people buying? This is a very difficult question to answer, given that people seek various ways to make themselves and the ones they love happy.
What may be a top priority for someone is at the bottom of the list or not even on the list of the next individual. There are others who are giving presents in the form of time and what money cannot buy. Presents are dictated. Since we have different love languages, the presents that we get are appreciated differently.
I have been thinking of the presents that I received last year during the festive season. I look at the presents and I realise that I am blessed to have people who care about me and are willing to sacrifice for me.
As far as letting go certain foods over the years, I have been faithful, limiting or even cutting out totally some foodstuffs. It has not been easy, but as the year comes to an end, I can safely say that I remain resolute and stand by what I began.
Each road has bumpy points, and even the journey to be health conscious has moments when I feel the uneven road and the bumps that it creates.
The biggest bumps that I have been getting are from those around me. I have noticed that even at a buffet, when the one serving offers a certain dish and I politely decline, I can have people ahead or behind me ask why not?
As one who is on a mission to protect my mental health well-being, I politely respond, not today. I have resolved not to say that I am no longer eating certain foods. Telling people the reason, has in most cases resulted in long (may I add, uncalled for) lectures.
These lectures vary. These can be based on what I am really missing out by not having the food that is being served. The lecture can then move to the consequences of not eating what the others are eating. Such lectures are easier in restaurants or hotels.
At home or family settings, the lectures can then divert to offending the ones who would have cooked. The offence will be in not eating what has been cooked that I may not even like.
Then the others can choose to lecture and shock me with details of people who went on crazy diets. I have had occasion when I have lost my appetite as I was bombarded with uncalled information just because I shared that I was not eating something.
Then there are those who just laugh and say that they wait for the day when the crazy dieting will end. When they see me after some time, they are quick to ask why I am still on diet.
How are we supposed to handle people who go out of their way to give unsolicited advice that may then dampen our mood?
Most people may choose this festive season to throw away all the efforts that they have put to getting the best of health.
Others may choose to ensure that they maintain what they have done since the beginning of the year so that they remain on track health wise.
As we meet as family and friends, it is important to respect the health choices that people have made or are making. It is not for us to discourage people or interrogate them until they are emotionally drained. It is not also good to draw conclusions based on just what we see.
At a lunch recently, a colleague asked the waiter who was clearing the tables if she could have fruit, instead of the desserts that were on display.
The waiter said he would enquire which fruits were available and then come back to her so that she could decide what she wanted.
As the waiter walked away, one of the colleagues at the table asked; “Asi wakabatwa sugar here?” translated to “are you diabetic now?”
My colleague responded “no” only to get follow up questions; “Saka sei usiri kudya dessert nokuti ini pandinodya dessert ndobva ndati ndadya lunch yemahotel?” (So why are not having dessert? For me the highlight of having lunch at the hotel is the dessert.)
The colleague who was being asked the many questions chose not to answer her. Instead she responded to the waiter who had returned with the choice of available fruits. After taking her fruits, she politely excused herself and left the table.
While shops are opening very early, we are not forced to go for shopping early. We can choose what we want to buy and not have to go into all the shops just because their open.
The music from the shops may be too loud for us, we can choose to look for shops with less noise that make our experience better without judging those who have no challenges shopping in noisy environments.
This festive season, choose to protect your mental health well-being! You can do this by learning to respect the health choices that people are making.
While some will eat dessert, others may opt for the apples and bananas, even if they are not diabetic.
Happy holidays! #Day354 of 365 of 2025
