Holy Week Has Me Over A Barrel :(

[Akathist]

Ditto. I try to remember that when I feel irritated and stressed out to the point of wanting to explode like I did in the OP, but sometimes the despair is so overwhelming I can't see a way out. It's easy to wish you'd be like the myrrhbearing women rather than the silly scaredy-cat apostles, who were booooys... But it's much harder when you actually have to do it.

Matrona, I really am there with you. It is Wednesday after Holy Week and I am not yet recovered. I was so very weary the day you posted this OP that I was no were near my computer even.

Only, you chant byzantine (right?). You had it worse then me by far. We use Russian harmony. I sing soprano and there are three to five other soprano's that were there for most of the services. (Except for a few when we had only me and two others which was very sad as I am not a good enough singer!)

So, I was able to grab a breath here or there, or turn my head and cough if I needed to. We also had readings but we had more people sharing the reading. I only did two readings the whole of Holy Week and only one of them was very long (one of the Old Testament readings).

Until the very last minute I was certain I would not stay for the over night vigil Friday night until the Vesperal DL on Saturday. I did stay and didn't sleep but I also didn't even start to take turns on the Psalms until 3 am when most of the younger people there (college age ones) were fast asleep. It was the vigil that really took me over the edge and that afternoon I was unable to speak at all (between the DL Sat. morning until Pascha service) to reserve my voice.

My feet still hurt, my throat is still sore and raspy and the last two days at work I have been told that I look "exhausted".

It was only a couple years ago and it seems that I bounced back from Holy Week just by getting to bed early Sunday night.

Next year I am definately getting some gel inserts for my shoes! And next year, I am going to stop talking at all outside of services and the vigil. (Ok, that last one is doubtful, but I can dream, right?)

 

[Bessie]

I realize that it's not always possible, but we were strongly encouraged by our priest to take Bright Monday off. Psychologically giving yourself the space to recoup and extending Pascha is pretty important, so make sure you do something nice for yourselves!

Bessie