A DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS

Last year at this exact time I was sitting on the floor in the vet’s office, holding and stroking his head on my knee, saying a final goodbye to my beloved Grump. I had spent Christmas Day much the same way – lying beside him on his cushion at home, trying to prepare both of us for what was to come. My son was at the hospital, beside his wife’s bed, worried that they lose the baby, even worried that he would lose his little Japanese spouse to the influenza and the infection the doctors were now saying had invaded her body. It was not a good time.

What a difference this year!! The whole family gathered at my home, and it was a most wonderful day! We had seven children, all under 11 years old – some just walking, others crawling...and when you looked around the babies were changing arms from one moment to the next, aunts and uncles and parents and grandparents each getting a share of cuddling. The food was plentiful and delicious, the trees were beautiful, and the house was filled with love and humor and warmth. My kind of Christmas!!

To top it off, my son and Yoshiko stayed over with little Miko, and Mémère and Mommy (my adopted female pit bull) played with our miracle baby all the next morning while her mom and dad got some much needed sleep. Later that evening my Cuban friends and my niece arrived to share a meal of leftovers, accompanied by plenty of wine. We laughed so hard my stomach hurt – one can’t get much better than that!

Yesterday I spent separating food for the freezer, cleaning up, taking phone calls of season greetings – just an easy going day. Today until Thursday it’s back to work, before the action starts over again for New Year’s weekend. There is the Eve’s party at the Sugar Shack organized by the boys who spent most of their growing years at my home, then on Saturday the family and friends gather again to celebrate both my daughter’s birthday (Dec 26th) and our little Miko’s first birthday (Dec 29th). It is a spur of the moment plan, and I love it all!

Mommy and Bandit and I sat quietly under the tree last evening, gazing out at my snow-covered (finally!) mountain, and I let memories of the pain and sorrow that had been present last Christmas run through me. I thought of those we had lost, of terrible moments filled with anxiety and sadness and frustration... and then I put it firmly behind me. Life does go on, and there is so much to appreciate and reasons to be thankful as we pick up the pieces and continue.

And on that note I will leave you with a huge SMILE and a wish that your old year end well, making room for all the wonderful things that can happen in the new one!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.