For All Who Have Lost Someone Close. A Christmas Post.

Merry Christmas!
It's hard to believe that December 25th has finally arrived. It's been a fabulous month here at A Writer's Mind. My What Every Woman Wants Beneath Her Christmas Tree blog event has once more been a pure pleasure to host. Sixteen authors and jewelry vendors have visited and shared some truly wonderful Christmas tales. I would like to thank each and every one of them for joining me this holiday season. You ladies are the best! I'd also like to thank everyone who has popped in and commented. It meant so much.

For those of you joining me for the first time, if you have a few minutes to spare and want to share the yuletide with some fantastic people, grab a hot cup of hot chocolate or whatever your device and scroll back through the posts. Don't forget to comment today for a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to Amazon.

I thought long and hard about what I wanted to share today and decided that I'd rather be honest and shoot from the heart... this Christmas is a bit difficult.

As many know, I lost my Dad at the end of July and Christmas without him is… not quite Christmas. It was very important to me this year to try to keep things as normal as possible. For the sake of my son. For the sake of my mom. For the sake of myself.

There's a certain joy that Christmas offers. A bittersweet nostalgia. Memories that though they hurt can also be healing. The lights, the warmth, the tradition of it all.

In fact, everything has gone quite well this holiday season. As far as everyone knows, I kept a dry eye. Until today at the store. I picked up a candle and thought to myself, "Time to buy a Christmas card for mom!" So off I strolled with a smile on my face, a bounce in my step, simultaneously sniffing the Warm Apple Pie candle and pushing my cart until I arrived at my destination, the card section. Not thinking twice, I reached up and grabbed a 'Mom & Dad' Christmas card. Eyes round as saucers, I froze.

Mom and Dad?

Regrettably, no.

Yep, I had a mini break-down. I quickly hustled away to the soda isle where I buried my tears by studying the ingredient label of a Diet Coke bottle. Let me tell you, there are some alarming things in soda. Suffice it to say, I quickly pulled myself together. No need for tender moments mere feet from so much carbonation. Shoulders back, determined gait full steam ahead, I went right back to that card isle and picked out the perfect Christmas card for my MOM.

Life goes on and I truly believe the worst disservice we can do to those who we've lost is to cease doing the little 'normal' things because they're not right there with us anymore. After all, I think they still are with us. We just can't see them. But we can feel them. I think Dad was right there with me telling me to pull myself together and stay strong. That I should celebrate Christmas with his memory close to my heart.

Dad, I love you. Though I can't 'give' you anything for Christmas this year I hope that this, your favorite Christmas song, reaches you wherever you may be…



Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday!

~Sky