Christmas at home

We put up our Christmas tree last night..our African grey was very interested in the lights

This is a little angel, one of three that my eldest sister bought for the three of us sisters, each is unique. We light them each Christmas as a symbol of our spiritual unity during this time of the year.

This is turning out to be a strange Christmas. Strange firstly because our precious daughter and sister, Bronwen, is now somewhere in or near Columbia and for the first time, will not be with us. Oh Lord how I miss her!!!! :o(

Letitia is slipping in and out of a coma now and I'm expecting a dreaded phone call with each passing hour...an ophthalmologist has also now discovered a 'pressure' behind one of her youngest daughters eyes and her dad (over and above everything else that he's trying to cope with) has just one more terrible worry to deal with. My parents are across the ocean with my eldest sister in Madeira, we are not in the Cape where we always are at this time of the year, but at home and there is so much sadness that I'm being made aware of this year in terms of people battling with operations, illness, loneliness and heartache.

We sat around the kitchen table last night...our board-room table....and discussed Letitia and her family and the impending trauma and the concept of death and dying. That simple deed of being united for a few minutes in order to deal with this life truth was such a blessing. There were very somber moments, especially for my husband Rob, who I think as a typical male, finds it very difficult to process emotions or express them.

Snapping out of it came in the form of a deep realization that our time together, in health, in happiness, the NOW that we have, is wonderful beyond words, precious beyond all riches..that even though family members are not with us..... their love is...our love is...... That eternal, in life and death.

We all jumped up and proceeded to the lounge to put up our Christmas tree amidst the usual banter between the boys, my eldest, gentle and sweet-natured daughter and I just shaking our heads at the 'cavemen'.

Yes, Christmas is a very special time of the year..it holds many spiritual mysteries and gifts that supersede all others. It is the most wonderful time of the year, if not for anything else, but just for realising how truly blessed we are in our most humblest and difficult of circumstances.