#11 of the Matrix.....

#11 of the matrix…….Christmas Anyway

I learned a big lesson a year ago……. Life as we know it goes on whether we are in it or not and it’s a wonderful thing that it does…..

By the end of Christmas day last year, I had passed the most critical points and they knew I was going to live. They weren’t sure what my condition would be when I was woke up, but they knew I was going to make it.

By then, my family’s own needs were surfacing… They were all exhausted, mentally and physically, they had lived at the hospital for two days and nights, and they had been through some huge emotional upsets. SO – they all gathered up each other, left the hospital, and went to my daughter’s house nearby, to savor what Christmas they could.

They got a meal put together, put some favorite cd’s in the player, had fun with a few gifts the grand kids had opened, consoled each other, they laughed together at whatever they could think to laugh about, and they enjoyed sitting on overstuffed furniture instead of a waiting room chair. Sleep came a little easier for them later that night in their own beds.

A great big positive with a bow on it ……

When I finally did come to…….

I learned that the world hadn’t stopped……

And…..

Christmas happened anyway.

It may not have been the same as our family was used to, a few traditions might have been over looked, and it may have not been exactly what they were looking forward to, but it did happen on December 25^th, 2008.

And the past year has happened…..

the grandkids all continued to discover life, our business continued to operate, there were other problems and joys in our family that came and went, the government kept operating, new music was written, babies were born, and lives were lost, people made and spent money, flowers bloomed and died and bloomed again, there were earthquakes, floods, new scientific discoveries, vacations, marriages, divorces….. Santa and his reindeer went ahead and flew across the world that fateful night, and it all continued on without me.

What was a huge event to me, and many of those who know me, was really a very small blurb in the whole scheme of things….

Which brings up the fact that no matter how big you think your problems are, there are others who are carrying a much heavier burden. I’ve been reminded of that several times in my life, but this year it took on a whole new meaning. Others stories did not have such a happy ending. Life is about putting it all in perspective then getting on with it…..

As I go thru this holiday season I want to keep reminding my loved ones, and myself that no matter what happens, it’s going to be ok. The world will always be here for us if we take care of it, and we need to make the most of it as long as we can. Hopefully we're preparing generations to carry on for us.

Even when the day comes (hopefully many years down the road), when tarzan grabs the last vine, she’s going to be smiling…...

and Christmas, in all its glory, will happen anyway….