The bonds and blessings of family at Xmas
My father Frank with one of his three great grandsons, my grandson Zachary.
Our Christmas celebrations are an expression of our family tradition, our fondness for food and our faith. It all began on Monday when my son Tyson and I visited my 96-year-old father in his residential facility. He was too frail to attend his family event in the evening, so he met my grandson Zachary for the first time. So, I begin with poignant photographs of my blind father meeting Zachary for the first time. He knows who we all are, but has little to say anymore – the quiet stilling of what was his great blessing – a vibrant, joyful and gentle personality. The other photograph I am delighted to share is of four of the young mothers – my daughter-in-law Vanessa, nieces Sonya and Katie and my niece-in-law Rhianna – and their offspring. The second cousins, even the eight-month-old babies, played happily with each other throughout the night. Their happiness abides with the sadness we still feel for their cousin and sister, Chelsea, whose first baby was stillborn two months ago. The event must have been very difficult for her. My daughters did not travel to Adelaide this Christmas.
Our family is blessed with 13 cousins and seven cousins-in-law, so we do not give gifts anymore, but this will be the first of many happy events as the children grow and more babies are born into our fold.
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my journal | nadine 24/12/2014
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