Christmas Gifts

CELEBRATING FAMILY TIME

Christmas always seemed to come around too quickly, at least that's what I thought since my mid-late 20s. The magic had seemingly gone. I'd find the whole gifting thing to be a massive stress and the religious part was totally lost on me. 

Fast forward to 2015. I've been really looking forward to the festive season this time around and in particular, spending some quality time with my family. 

It often takes a tragedy to inspire us to make a change, hence the death of my colleagues have driven me to take these daily steps for my own personal growth. Just as a cold slap in the face can wake us to take in the harsh realities of life, a reminder of death will motivate us to seize what we have and enjoy it will we still can. 

August last year was one of those moments when reality stared me in the face. I didn't fully understand it at the time, but as Christmas loomed, it became clear to me that time for us all, is finite. Thankfully, on this occasion, it's not been a tragedy but a stark reminder of how short our time is on this planet. 

The moment I fully realised that time is so precious, was while watching TV with my sick father. He had cancer. There was a moment in the film where someone said 'Christmas is going to be the last one'. I don't recall the film, but I distinctly remember that moment thinking 'This might be my dad's last Christmas'. This could be the last happy family celebrations we have together. It turned out to be a great few days, like an oasis of respite for fun in a sea of discomfort and pain for my poor chemotherapy-drained dad. 

So now a year has passed, the illness appears to have gone (we hope for good) and tomorrow is Christmas Day. My nan and granddad (pictured above) are sadly no longer with us, but my mum and dad, brother, sister in law and niece & nephew are. So, I will enjoy being with them as well as my lovely girlfriend, Cathy and fully appreciate the good fortunate of having such a lovely family.

May we all be more grateful for our family, no matter how quirky, odd or potentially annoying they can be and instead, by truly thankful for the precious time we still have to enjoy life with them.

Merry Christmas!

Mum & Dad

ANNIVERSARIES

Today was my mum and dad's 43rd anniversary. That's a long time sharing a life together, bringing up kids and ultimately looking after each other. Having a stable family environment means so much - especially for the sake of the children. Studies are showing that children from broken families have a higher chance of becoming involved in crime or can suffer mental disorders throughout their life. 

Who knows where I would have ended up if it weren't for having decent parents and a stable family life. So it's thanks to them for being so strong together that I'm able to be the person I am today. 

It's also why spending as much time with them as possible, particularly celebrating their success on making such a monumental occasion, their anniversary, happen every year. Because what are we without our mum & dad. It's a day to be truly celebrated.

Family Holidays

EASTER BREAK

The first bank holiday of the year - and the longest, is the Easter weekend. It signifies the start of Spring, longer and lighter days and the beginning's of Summer just around the corner. That's why everyone goes crazy! It's a big deal and you have to get it right. A lot of us will have been sun-starved and only just surfacing from the winter cave. If, like me, you've been on special diets and alcohol free for the most part of the year, this is a weekend to let the hair down and indulge yourself. Usually, that's what happens on my bank holiday every year and quite often they will be lost weekends. So, for fear of coming through the fog on the other side, a different weekend awaits this year. A family trip away. What better opportunity to spend a few quality days with loved ones - playing with the kids on the beach, eating ice creams and being merry with a drink or two.

So, it's time to down tools. And that means switching off the phones, leaving email and Facebook status well alone and drawing the focusing towards having fun with the family that will impart special memories the kids can retain for future moments, so they, in turn can take our grand kids to the special places when it's their turn.

Family holidays are a treat for the soul. Make them happen and make them special. It's the best reward you can give yourself, a reality check on life - and will reveal to us what and who are the most important people in our lives.

Unconditional Love

MUM'S THE WORD

Yesterday was Mother's Day. If there's one day of the year when we need to stop everything we're doing and focus on someone else, ie. the most important person in your life, it's this day. Mums all around the globe: thank you for giving us life, nurturing and caring for us and making us who were are. Without you showing us right from wrong and teaching us in those formative years, we may have gone on a different path.

Happy Mother's day!