Christmases past

I am propelled into mental gymnastics reexamining Christmases past like a modern day Ebenezer Scrooge from Dickens’ Christmas Carol. My life partner asks, when was the last time we spent Chritmas overseas? As I count back the decades she answers her own question out loud, 1979!

It was our honeymoon, me as a fifth year medical student and she as a 19 year old young woman on a trip to New Zealand. It was the first time overseas for all of us and the first time away from her parents for Suzanne. I remember Christmas day well. We were in Queenstown and Christmas dinner was atop Coronet peak with a romantic gondola ride to get there. I remember the romantic but late crimson sunset and the beautiful woman sitting opposite me. Forty three years on, looking back, how young we were!

Each and every Christmas since has been at home with our children but as importantly with Suzanne’s parents who were our rocks. They were our supports and part of the glue that held our extended family together. Christmas would never be away from them.

Last year we lost Suzannes’ mum, Margaret, after a prolonged illness and time in a nursing home.

Saddened, missing her we gathered around her dad as the last of the generation and celebrated what would ultimately be our last Christmas together. Three months ago, after a year of increasing poor health Arthur also passed away.

Forty three years on Christmas is not quite the same. Surrounded by our boys, their partners and our expanding cohort of grandchildren all is merry but this year we celebrate a week early and Suzanne and I are again going overseas. For Suzanne it has been almost 4 years since she had any holiday as a devoted daughter she tended firstly to mum then to dad to the exclusion of any of the luxuries of life such as travel.

We are headed to Borneo for some wildlife viewing and a tropical holiday, but come Christmas day we will raise a glass and shed a quiet tear as we reflect on Christmases past. They will never be quite the same!