I just got off the phone with my Dad.  He’s back home on the farm, and has lots of help with his cattle and chores. While we talked, three neighbours beeped in on the line to talk to him, as well as a “lovely Hutterite lady” who Dad said probably wanted to sell him something. He wondered out loud what he could purchase from her…maybe a blanket.

I’ve never had the opportunity to hear first-hand insights from someone I love that has gone through something as life altering as cancer. I stopped everything I was doing, sat down, and really listened.

This is what I learned from my Dad today, and it is written in my Dad’s voice.

“You go through something like this, you begin to heal, and you think what am I doing this all for?  I don’t need much.  All the things that were so important that I have, I realize I don’t really need them.”

He also has a new understanding of what my sister struggles with daily as she lives with MS, and he realizes what a lonely world it is when you are at home dealing with health issues.  He’s taking the time to slow down and to take the support and love others have given.

As Christmas approaches, it’s easy to get caught up in the material part of Christmas where I am on the quest to find the perfect gifts for loved ones. I will shamefully tell you in fact, that I’m going to start the bulk of my Christmas shopping tomorrow.  For some reason, I just can’t get into the swing of things this year, but mainly because I don’t want to go into busy malls and join the other frenzied shoppers.  Rather than obsessing about the gift I find, I want to be conscious of the actual act of giving with a spirit of gratitude.

After talking to Dad, I have a new appreciation for the events that surround Christmas. Tomorrow is the school Christmas concert for my younger two.  Now that my oldest is in Jr. High, I realize these next few years are the last of the Christmas concerts!

Christmas is a magical time of year for kids. The excitement they bring into the season is infectious.

I am so thankful to God for my Dad’s healing, and for all the new insights he has brought forward. I am really looking forward to spending time with family and friends this year. I’m going to slow down, take the time to visit, and take it all in. This year marks something different for me! I come from a large family, so potluck is the way we roll and we usually travel to Vermilion for Christmas. However, this year we are spending Christmas day in Leduc, and I am cooking my very first complete Christmas meal (insert nervous laugh here).

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas from my heart to yours,

Christine