Christmas for me

Christmas for me, the words that come to mind are; family, food, cheer and giving. At Christmas time, my family always comes together. I love Christmas and what it means to me. The joy of the holidays, the freedom of no school and the relaxed atmosphere of doing nothing is the core of what it is to be on holiday.

On the other hand Christmas also has a shadow over it for my family. Two years ago our Christmas was consumed by a bedside vigil. We spent our holiday in the hospital with my Dad who passed away from cancer around Christmas. The festive season has not been the same ever since. Essentially Christmas is about family coming together, but sitting around the dinner table and seeing one empty chair, is when loss sinks in. 
 
In my small country town, in southeast Queensland, you can see a sense of community and strong bonding when people care. The worst thing for me was, when people would say, "It's going to be ok." Or he is in a better place." It made me angry and upset. The best thing to know and for people to do is to be a presence. People that said, "I am here." Or "I am just a phone call away, if you need anything just call us." This is what was most prevalent from friends and relatives.

Christmas is about giving, Christmas is about sharing and this is truly evident from those closest to you, especially during hard times. Without those people that are close to me I would of suffered much more. My family does come together at Christmas and the best thing to know is that friends and family are never far.