Taking the plunge

It's your daughter's 18th birthday - first big milestone, a very special occasion. Happy birthday Bella's daughter!!!! @Former-Member

Hello @Former-Member, @Maggie, @Catcakes, @outlander

@Former-Member You can't keep anything quiet around here, we all love a party, real or imagined. Happy Birthday D.💜💜💕💕

@Former-Member I hope you enjoy church, if you are lucky you might get a few Christmas carols if you like them. I always loved the singing traditional or not. I would't say I'm feeling better, but sometimes you just have to get back into things, like it or not, and hope the mood lifts. I'm really familiar with darkness, you know what I can do in the middle of the night!!!!! I'm not surprised your cross stitch was chosen, you have done the best work ever, good on you. Does it mean a prise???? I'm also doing a bit myself.💕💕💜💜

@Catcakes Glad your day is better than yesterday. There's a self care alphabet thread if you'd like me to tag you there, it's fun and serious, I'm picking up little ideas I never thought of.

@Former-Member For D

Hi @Maggie, its nice to see you around a bit more again. Usually a sign that things are improving for you?

Your comment that I may be grieving some lost friends/family atm, is true actually. Hit the nail on the head. And Christmas approaching does seem to bring it all into focus, being a time we usually spend with primarily family, but otherwise friends or loved ones.

This year is different. Normally we would have been spending Christmas with either my husband's family in WA, or else my family down in the Southern Tablelands of NSW. But with hubby going through this anti-cancer treatment and being so unwell, we are unable to make plans of any sort from one day to the next so we will not be going anywhere this year. Normally that wouldnt bother me, but hubby's Dad is 91 and his health is failing badly this past few months. And my Mum's cancer diagnosis and my Dads heart failure diagnosis, all in the past few months, makes you realise that this could be the last christmas we will have any of them around. So thats a little hard to contemplate. But with hubbys treatment and need to be near his medical supports right now, we just cant go anywhere.

The last Christmas we spend with my family, was the last Christmas that my little niece Emma was around. She died in the car crash just over 2 years ago, she was only 11yo. I am always thankful that I was able to share her last Christmas that year. I think Christmas lost a lot of the joy for me after she died, she being the youngest of my immediate family. I have grandkids of course, but they always have Christmas with the other side of their families as they live nearby them, respectively.

And then on the Friday Feast thread last night we were selecting music for the night, and one of the songs there was a song I associate very closely with my very first boyfriend. He died in a car accident when he was 23yo, I was 19yo at the time. The song was The Chain by Fleetwood Mac, it was his favourite song when I was going out with him.

So yes, you are quite right Maggie, Christmas is definitely a time that we look back at what could have been, or what SHOULD have been. But also some concerns over who will still be around this time next year. With a Mum, Dad and Husband all diagnosed with serious life threatening diseases over the lst few months, you realise just how fragile life is.

Maggie, I hope your 'dark zone' is not as dark as it was. I have just been outside and gazed at the stars, and thought of you. Its a lovely clear night here, still early but the stars are shining brightly.

The warmest of thoughts to you too Maggie my friend. And also to @Former-Member @Former-Member @Faith-and-Hope @Shaz51 @Catcakes, and anyone else happening by.

Sherry

💐💜💕 @Former-Member .....

@Former-Member