Yes, yes, I may be a month early, but seeing as I have a wonderful Christmas present arriving on the 17th December, I'm going to be far too busy kissing Liam & Charlotte's feet for making the trip to see me, than writing a blog!
Christmas. It stirs up 100 different emotions in me, when the decorations are put out in the shops in September and the carols are playing in all the shopping malls. This year will be doubly strange as, obviously, I am away from home at Christmas for only the 2nd time in my life. I've always tried to do the best when buying presents, but now, I realise, that I perhaps did myself more of a disservice by trying to buy unique and thoughtful gifts when it was not always appreciated, needed nor reciprocated? And, in turn, I put myself into debt for absolutely no reason. Why did I think that my present would make someone's Christmas, when they get so much? And why do we put such an expectation on the level of gifts at Christmas, when surely it’s about being with the ones you love and honouring those who are not with us? Kids don't understand quality, it's all about the quantity - so why the constant excess?
My mum set a precedence for the sheer volume of gifts received at Christmas. I used to get a black bin bag FULL to the brim with presents, and so did each of her grandchildren (I always got more than Kim and Stu as mum said it was because I didn't have kids.....Why do you think I never had a child of my own??? LOL!). And the first Christmas without her, that big black sack was reduced to a few perfect gifts, which my sister had tried heroically to do with what she could in place of mum.....and my heart sank. I was 30 years old, and I actually could have cried because, who was going to now buy me those gifts I saw throughout the year? The CD system for my car? The new boots? The winter coat? And I had a very sharp shock that day and it made me realise that it actually wasn't the norm for anyone to be showered with that many gifts. And that from now on, it would be ME that bought myself those things....and I have, and I do. But it was a bitter pill to swallow as that was all that I had known, all my life, every christmas. And now? I love getting my handful of perfect gifts because they are personal and they are exactly what I want. And even just to get one present, we should all be extremely grateful that someone took the time to spend their hard earned money on you. Please don’t take it for granted, as that person may not bother next year - and it shouldn't be a 'right' to receive gifts, it should be earnt.
Nothing takes the sting out of not having Mum around on Christmas morning. She used to make us all wait on the landing, whilst she brushed her teeth (which seemed to take FOREVER) and then she would go downstairs to see if the presents were there (I’d like to say this it was just for the kids benefit, but no, Kim and I were just as excited). And then she'd put the fire on, press play on the cheesy Christmas music and shout out "he's been". And it would sound like a herd of elephants coming down those stairs, with me at the front, wrestling with Charlotte, Kayleigh and Liam to see who could get into the living room first. We would then all be hidden by the sheer amount of wrapping paper thrown into the centre of the room, and on a couple of occasions, there were tears (bikes received, Hifi's given and my brown suede cowboy jacket - remember that, Stu?). Mum would then set about cooking Christmas dinner, feeding the 5,000 (usually, there was a minimum of about 20 of us – maximum if I remember was 28 people one year) and I was relegated to the 'kids table' until I was 23...which caused much anger and chaos with me when my niece charlotte was promoted to the 'adult table' at just 14. Really?? Then the sitting around watching the queen's speech, preparing yet more food for the 'evening party' which saw all my uncles, aunts and cousins turn up to play 'Hi Harry', apple bobbing and dead lions (to get at least 10 minutes peace). My 6 nieces and nephews were usually relegated upstairs to play with their new toys, so that us adults could get everything ready for the evening, with the strict instructions to stay out of my room. Needless to say, all 6 of them never took a blind bit of notice of me and rejoiced in being able to turn my bedroom upside down and inside out. And the volume of sound! My god, it was like white noise! But, come midnight, that noise would subside, there would be kids bodies asleep all over the house and mum would stay up to clean everything away as she didn't want to have to “come down to this mess in the morning”.
And, hand on heart, I would give anything to have just one of those Christmas days back again.....as I never actually realised what we had then, and how situations and people change, that those kids have grown up and some have their own families now - and how that we'll never have a Christmas day like that again. So make the most of it this year....as it could all be completely difference next year.
So, my special delivery arrives on the 17th December at 6am. I literally can't breathe when I think of them arriving....and I've already warned Liam that I will be throwing myself at him and sobbing my heart out on his shoulder. By then, it would be 11 months since I've seen a member of my family. So I think I'll be entitled to cry my eyes out a little....and the plans we have for their 3 week stay are phenomenal! I'm looking forward to the week travelling up the east coast in a little camper van, just the three of us. We have just 7 days to drive over 1,900 kms - but between us, I'm sure the driving won't be too bad as long as we have some decent choons to sing along to. Stopping off at Port Macquarie, Byron, Brisbane, the sunshine coast (to see a few friends), Hervey bay, having Christmas day on Fraser island (jealous yet?) and then two days on the Whitsunday islands to check out the reef. A quick flight back to Sydney, just in time for the massive New Year Eve celebrations. They're going to need a holiday to get over this trip....
And when they leave, it'll be 12 weeks until I leave work, and 15 weeks until I leave Australia and start the amazing journey on my world trip extravaganza, to get me back to the UK. And I'm actually quite concerned about how well I'll adjust being back home and how well others will adjust to me being back. Things will have invariably changed - but how much? Who knows. Perhaps that’s for the next blog.
I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and a rip roaring new year. I know I will.
Love you
Me
xxxxx
