Every year, for almost more years than I can count, our family has raised a glass each Christmas to those we love but won’t see again in this world, and to those we love who are still with us, but who are not able to share our celebration, because they’re scattered all over the globe at the moment.
Every year, there are more and more folks we think about and mention during this toast. This year has been especially difficult for us, since, as many of you know, my stepson Sam died in July, after a decades-long struggle with serious mental illness, but ultimately as the result of a vicious assault on December 8, 2017 which left him unresponsive and in a coma for eight months. His alleged murderers go on trial in February. I’m not sure Mr. She and I would have made it through the “troubles” when we found out Sam was not going to survive this ordeal, had a Ricochet member I have an IRL relationship with not been visiting our house at the time. God bless him, and the strength he gave me, and which he continues to give to us both, simply by allowing us into his life.
This year, Sam joins a litany of those who have gone before, those we are grateful to have had in our lives, those we have in our lives but miss the physical presence of, and those we have faith we will meet again one day, in this world or the next.
Please join me in my annual Christmas toast to the “absent friends and loved ones” in my life. I’ll say a prayer for those in yours, if you’ll please return the favor.
Merry Christmas, All.
