I’m not going to lie...

I’m not going to lie, I love getting presents. As I got older, I started to enjoy giving gifts. I like to pick out the perfect gift for a specific person. I watch for a reaction, as they open a present from me.

I still get excited at Christmastime. As a twenty-nine year old, I get excited over different things, than when I did when I was a child.

Now, food is part of what makes this time of year so special. I love to eat the traditional baked goods. My Mom makes shortbread cookies that melt in your mouth. She ices the cookies with white icing and dips them in candy cane crumbs. These cookies taste so good. I’m sure I’ll gain weight during the holidays, but it is worth it.

My Grandma McIntyre used to make gingersnaps. Some people liked them soft and others liked to hear the cookie snap. I remember making these cookies with Grandma & my cousin. Our job was to roll a chunk of dough into a ball. After the dough was in the shape of a ball, we rolled it in white sugar. This made the cookies sparkle. My brother Stu bakes gingersnap cookies every so often. They taste just like the ones Grandma used to make.

My niece will celebrate her first Christmas this year. It’s hard to believe she was not here last year. My oldest niece is two years old. This year she will be an active participant in the gift opening. I love to see my nieces smile. I had lots of fun shopping for them.

It’s Christmas Eve & all the wrapping is done. The house smells of maple & the make ahead veggies are well underway. Tomorrow, my family will gather for Christmas brunch. There’ll be French toast made with special bread, sausages, bacon and sweet bread. In this family, you’ll never go hungry.

As an adult, I have realised that the meaning of Christmas cannot be found in a box or a gift bag. Love is what brings us together. Family & friends gathering together for food & chatter means so much to me.

I am still a kid at heart.

When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

When thank you doesn’t seem like enough...

We say thank you to the sales clerk when she hands us our purchase. We say thank you when someone holds the door for us. I say thank you in excess of twenty times a day. We are an extremely polite society, for the most part. What happens when thank you just isn’t enough? There are few words that express gratitude beyond a simple thank you.

I want to take this opportunity to express how thankful I am, to be a member of this family. Without them I would not be where I am today. Around this time each year, we gather with our extended family. I feel so lucky to have such a loving family. I watched the little cousins play with toys from my Grandma’s house. A whole new generation is enjoying toys that are older than me. A recipe for making memories that will last a lifetime!

Recently, I was interviewed by an author for a local paper called, ‘The Bay Observer’. I am feeling the love from family, friends & neighbours. I am so encouraged by the response to the article.

For me, being interviewed was a lot like therapy on fast forward. I started thinking that I could do the interview and keep my emotions from taking over. I soon learned that my emotions were part of the story. Once the interview was over, I felt a sense of relief. I had not talked about Friedreich’s Ataxia with many people before. I had talked about my disorder and nothing bad happened. This has been a cathartic experience for me.

Thank you doesn’t seem enough for what I have gained from this process. I thank you Ben, for being patient and kind with me. You are the perfect tour guide as I take the plunge into the world of writing.

I am not big on labels. I think sometimes people live up to or down to a label. I have no intention of living up to Friedreich’s Ataxia. You might google the name, but that isn’t me. I will not live with the word disabled hovering above my head. I am able in other ways. I refuse to let my disorder rule my life. Attitude is everything!

I am still not as open about my disorder as some other people may be and that is alright.

Christmas Memories...

Every year in December, I reflect back on Christmas’ past.

Every child has memories of a certain toy or gift that made you smile from ear to ear with excitement. There was the year of the Fisher Price kitchen set. I think every eight year old asked Santa for a kitchen set. It was as tall as me and likely weighed more than me. There was a pot of alphabet soup and a kettle that whistled. A toy that does not require batteries is tough to find these days.

When I was a teenager, I babysat for several families. I loved to babysit. To me it was fun to play and read with the kids.

On one Saturday in December, I was asked to babysit for a family with three kids. I loved this family and their kids, so I happily said yes. As it happened, this particular Saturday was during Chanukah. The family was Jewish, so before the parents left, they did the lighting of the menorah. I was not familiar with the words they said. What I remember most about that day, was that when they did the lighting ceremony, they invited me to participate. We held hands around the menorah and the recited a song in Hebrew. I felt so honoured to be included in such a meaningful event. I know that the family never thought twice about including me. I have never forgotten that day.

It did not matter that I was not Jewish or that they weren’t Christian. We were together and grateful for one another.

For Christmas this family gave me Hallmark ornaments of Mary and Joseph. I loved the ornaments when I received them and to this day they remain two of my favourite Christmas decorations.

When someone says ‘Happy Holidays’ to me, I am not offended in the least. It means that they wish me well.

My wish for you is happiness throughout the coming year!

Merry Christmas! Happy Chanukah! Happy Holidays to one & all!