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bluefirebirdOnce there was a time, as a small child, when I declared that I always wanted to spend Christmas at home with my parents. Now, something like 30 years later, I remember that declaration and it has pretty much come back to haunt me.
When I said that Christmas involved a small house-full of relatives - around a dozen - and I guess as the only child present the day rather revolved around me. Now there are just four of us left: Mum who is 79, Dad who is 83 and afflicted with Alzheimers although he doesn't know it, Dad's sister who is 93 and me, some 40 years younger.
Both Dad and his sister have lost the plot as far as Christmas is concerned, both incredibly forgetful. My aunt has deteriorated noticably over the last year and has forgotten that the family always exchange gifts, and Dad is somewhat oblivious to the idea of presents - although delighted to receive sweets and chocolate for himself - as he has never bought presents himself for anyone other than my mother and in recent years that has become "we'll buy something for you after Christmas" and had degenerated into "why bother", which has now become a mere shrug at the idea of exchanging gifts at Christmas. He can't even remember/be bothered to get a Christmas card for Mum anymore, which hurts her, even though he got all sappy in her absence when she had a week in hospital in the summer.
We still think that he missed his "slave" more than anything.
My other half likes to spend Christmas day on his own, usually enjoying an opera or ballet on TV (neither of which are my taste) so I am happy for him to do that without me. We have always gone for a bike ride on Christmas morning, together (and with other friends), which is fun.
Mum spends all her time slaving in the kitchen - she never seems to have mastered the art of the sort of preparation that allows you to spend time with your guests. This is something she always does.
So now I am stuck with a Christmas day that I hate because it is so depressing.
I can't even drink, because although my aunt only lives a few miles away, I am the taxi service to collect and deliver her. Although I did have fun a couple of years ago rifling through their drinks cabinet and tasting everything and anything at about 3 in the afternoon, knowing that I wouldn't need to drive until 10pm and as I was only interesting in tasting, rather than imbibing there wasn't going to be a problem with drinking and driving!
When I said that Christmas involved a small house-full of relatives - around a dozen - and I guess as the only child present the day rather revolved around me. Now there are just four of us left: Mum who is 79, Dad who is 83 and afflicted with Alzheimers although he doesn't know it, Dad's sister who is 93 and me, some 40 years younger.
Both Dad and his sister have lost the plot as far as Christmas is concerned, both incredibly forgetful. My aunt has deteriorated noticably over the last year and has forgotten that the family always exchange gifts, and Dad is somewhat oblivious to the idea of presents - although delighted to receive sweets and chocolate for himself - as he has never bought presents himself for anyone other than my mother and in recent years that has become "we'll buy something for you after Christmas" and had degenerated into "why bother", which has now become a mere shrug at the idea of exchanging gifts at Christmas. He can't even remember/be bothered to get a Christmas card for Mum anymore, which hurts her, even though he got all sappy in her absence when she had a week in hospital in the summer.
We still think that he missed his "slave" more than anything.
My other half likes to spend Christmas day on his own, usually enjoying an opera or ballet on TV (neither of which are my taste) so I am happy for him to do that without me. We have always gone for a bike ride on Christmas morning, together (and with other friends), which is fun.
Mum spends all her time slaving in the kitchen - she never seems to have mastered the art of the sort of preparation that allows you to spend time with your guests. This is something she always does.
So now I am stuck with a Christmas day that I hate because it is so depressing.
I can't even drink, because although my aunt only lives a few miles away, I am the taxi service to collect and deliver her. Although I did have fun a couple of years ago rifling through their drinks cabinet and tasting everything and anything at about 3 in the afternoon, knowing that I wouldn't need to drive until 10pm and as I was only interesting in tasting, rather than imbibing there wasn't going to be a problem with drinking and driving!
