As a child my Christmas’s were not good. As a young Mum Christmas was time I loved. Giving is something precious to me and very important. Whether it be gifts, cards or hospitality, giving is my idea of Christmas. But the most important gift we can give to anyone is our time. As a little girl I enjoyed watching my siblings open their presents, my brother; the year he had a new bike, something I had asked for, and my youngest sister, who wasn’t old enough to ride a bike, had a bright gleaming red one. I didn’t. But seeing the joy on their faces, made me feel happy.This was the theme as my brother and sisters know. I soon learned to enjoy by proxy, not good for a child but I had other things on my mind and watching them unwrapping their presents, in anticipation ,took my mind of what was happening to me. So it became a time for giving and I gave as much as I possibly could to my daughters, too much perhaps. We always had a happy fun-filled time and I loved seeing my family happy.
This year more than ever I see the importance of time. None of us know how much we have. It isn’t endless, the bank of life can run out much sooner than we think. We can’t pay in to it, we can’t earn interest, we can only appreciate what is there and we never know when the account may become empty. This year I am making an effort to invest only in sureties. No speculation as I have had these past 3 years. No hoping the return may be better than I had anticipated. No looking for credits in my life that I had prayed for but never received. This year, I will treasure what I have in my ‘account’ and not waste anymore on fruitless efforts or investments. Wasting our Life Account is futile and heartbreaking. Life and time are precious and we will never get the investment back.
Bit confusing? Not really.
Back in 2013 I lost contact with my eldest daughter Lisa Jayne and her family through trying to keep my integrity. I have spoken of this in earlier blogs. Things became very fraught and nasty and earlier this year especially Mothers day, she and her aunt stole from me the most valuable of fragile things, my time. They ran a vendetta that made me ill, took me away from my husband in person and in emotionally. All my energy, thought process, all my emotional investment went into trying to get them to stop. They ruined something precious for me but most of all stole me from my wonderful husband in spirit. That is unforgivable. Yes I suppose I allowed it to happen in a way, trying hard to make things right, to let other family members know the truth but none of that was worth it. They destroyed part of me, leaving me vulnerable, weak and poorly. I will never get that time back. I will never get the past 3 years of pain back and for that I am so sad.
This Christmas is going to be hard as the past 3 have. Without my family, my daughter and grandsons, it has never been the same but I can’t change that. This year with David’s operation looming it will be very hard to be upbeat and happy. Christmas is the silly season but this year is anything but silly. Christmas is a time for rejoicing and sharing. I don’t feel like rejoicing and I wouldn’t want to share my own feelings with anyone. Except I can, on here.
I could mope, I could say let’s forget about it, let’s not celebrate, as I felt last year but that would mean they, my evil ‘sister’ and co. had won. This year it would mean that cancer had won. That ‘aint gonna happen!
The views from my study window are breathtaking, I used to bore people telling them this but it was the truth. I see no beauty now. I try. I stare out at the hills, see the sunrises and the sunsets but nothing warms my heart. Times like this, Christmas, you need those you love around you. You want the children that were yours, all grown up now with their own children, near to you, close. What you don’t need is hostility, unkindness and hurt. If I could change this I would in a flash but I can’t. If I could take my beloved David’s cancer for myself, again I would in a heartbeat. But I can’t. So I haven’t been able to see any beauty in anything and I know I need to find how to see it again.
I need to have the expectations that I gave my daughter when they were children, I need to find excitement I gave them in the build up to the silly season. I want to feel the joy in giving and help us all through this difficult time. So far I have failed to do this. But I will.
As I sit here typing with my dogs at my feet and my solitary cat asleep on the bed, I remind myself of how much love we have here ‘on the farm’. David loves me, I know that. He is always here for me, making me smile, making me laugh and holding me when I cry. He never misses the chance to grab a kiss or a hug and always kisses me good night at the end of every painful day. I am here for him comforting, encouraging, loving him and always will be. I can’t make it all go away but I can make this Christmas the best ever, I need to do this for him, for us. When I asked him what he wanted for Christmas he told me that I couldn’t wrap it up. When pressed for a sensible reply he said ‘All I want is to have you here with me’. How can you answer that.
So, this year we don’t have all we want. I don’t have the family I want here with me. David, although very well in himself, no symptoms or signs of illness, doesn’t have a healthy cancer free body yet. So we don’t have peace of mind and are still in a bit of shock from the past few months revelations.But we have lots of love, for and from all our charges here, the rescued ponies, the ‘bought’ ponies, the 25 Mallard ducks who come every winter, the 3 new More hens, Shamaz, the stray cat that lives in the barn, our beautiful Luther black cat and our two amazing little dogs. We also have a wonderful daughter and so we have so much more than a lot of people. Yes Christmas is proving hard but we have to pull through, if we don’t it will be a victory for everything and everyone who is against us.
As a child I dreaded this time of the year, I knew it would be hard and that is why I became a giver, being a receiver always left me disappointment so giving became my pleasure. I have to find little Carol Ann, learn from her, get her to remind me what is important in life. Sometimes, times like today, I forget. Time, that is what it’s all about, giving that to the people I love. Being there for them, letting them cry with me or to me, letting those I love pour their worry out to me and be able to hold it and comfort them. Not allowing others whose lies and nastiness stole so much of my past years, steal any more. Being a giver again is what will be my salvation this year and my resolution for 2017. Then I will see the beauty again and next year had better watch out. When I am strong, I am very very strong, my past has taught me that. So cancer, so ‘family’ watch this space!
If I believed in Christmas wishes I would wish for this.
Prostate cancer and all cancer, to be a thing of the past.
My family reunited in love and kindness.
Peace for everyone.
But wishes don’t come true so it’s down to me!
Have a wonderful Christmas everyone and don’t worry about what tomorrow may bring, that is wasting this precious gift of life and time.Be happy in today and enjoy memories of years gone and make memories for those to come. Give your time to those in need but don’t allow others to steal it from you. you need it all.
Thank you for reading. x
carolannwright 