After a week like my last week, I found myself not "so Merry" at times. But it also taught me something about Christmas. Before I get ahead of myself, let me share a "glimpse" of my diary of the last several days:
Life Doesn't Stop for Christmas... it keeps going
Dec. 10
6:30 AM - Happy gets out of the fence and runs away before we could track him in the dark.
8:30 AM - Email received, my Aunt Jo is in ICU following her second stroke this year.
4:00 PM - Arriving home - Happy is sitting on our back porch after we did much searching earlier, he came home on his own.
6:00 PM - Office Christmas Banquet is a success, fun, upbeat and I had McDreamy attend with me.
9:30 PM - McDreamy and I end our short-term dating relationship as we said our goodbyes. (More later, I promise...)
Dec. 11
8:30 AM - Second email claims my Aunt Jo is still in ICU and can't have visitors but they expect she will be in a regular room by Friday morning.
Noon - Our office staff served at the retired ministers luncheon at work. The mature seniors make me smile as we serve them and celebrate with them.
Dec. 12
7:30 AM - Phone rings - it's my sister. Aunt Jo passed away during the night.
Dec. 13
8:30 AM - In 28 degree weather Kass and I are on our way to a Girl Scout duck watch. We get to see several species of ducks and geese as we try to not think about the cold.
1:00 PM - Kass and I enjoy wonderful cups of hot chocolate with lunch as we view the pictures from our trip.
3:00 PM - Kass and I do some Christmas shopping. It's crowded but we have a good time.
7:00 PM - I meet for a sectional choir practice to prepare for our Christmas cantata in one week.
Dec. 14
Noon - My sister, her Emmy, Jas, Kass, and I have a quick lunch while Jas shared what he enjoyed from the sermon that morning. We have to be at the family viewing by 1:00 PM - we make it around 1:30 PM where we greed dad's family and reminisce about Jo.
4:05 PM - I'm late to choir practice after working on Jas' project at the office in between visitation.
6:00 PM - Visitation resumes at the funeral home for family and friends.
Dec. 15
2:00 PM - Aunt Jo's funeral followed by a meal with all the family including cousins, and my dad's brother Paul. As we continue to reminisce, we promise each other we will stay in touch.
6:00 PM - Kass and I go Christmas caroling with the Girls Scouts at the Alzheimer's unit in Friendship Manner. Singing lifts my spirits and then I realize one of the residents we are singing to is my good friend's mom.
Midnight - I wake up - sicker than I've been in years. A stomach virus wipes me out, takes my lunch and dinner, and leaves me feeling like I was beaten with bricks.
ENOUGH!
Ok after contacting my sister and sister in law, I get some comfort and assistance. My sister-in-law offered to take Kass to school on that Tuesday morning (I couldn't move off the couch, leave alone drive) and brought me some ginger ale and a cup of ice to get me hydrated. And now Thursday, I am doing much much better.
But Life Doesn't Stop Christmas From Coming!
Well, life doesn't stop for Christmas. Life is still just life. But Christmas gives us a diversion in the midst of the storm. If you let it, it gives you moments of merriness amongst the hard moments we must still endure.
But life also didn't stop Christmas from coming either - it's still here! It's up to us to embrace it and let it fill us up with some joy even when we think there is no time or place for joy with all the hard stuff going on around us.
2 comments:
Wow girl. I know so many who are having difficult times right now. I think these things happen all year but it just seems worse when we're supposed to be filled with the joys of Christmas.
Still, even amidst the chaos, there's nothing quite like waking up on Christmas morning to the sounds of excited little girls.
Merry Christmas!
I knew about Lucky and your aunt, but I had no idea about all the other stuff going on. Wow. It's been a rough week for you guys. Thoughts and prayers that Christmas goes smoothly and is very merry!
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