When I was a youngun’, around 9 years old, my Pop was diagnosed with glioblastoma. Anyone who really knows anything about that type of cancer, knows it’s one of the worst kinds, prognosis-wise. His treatment included surgery and radiation therapy. They weren’t particularly effective. After that first Christmas with his diagnosis, I remember praying myself to sleep every single night. Not exaggerating. Every. Single. Night. When I prayed, I was begging for my Pop to be around for at least one more Christmas. Because he was sick, we made the 8ish hour trip to his house for Thanksgiving. He seemed normal to me and I was beyond thrilled because I thought all that praying worked. It was Thanksgiving and Pop was totally fine, so Christmas was a lock.
When we arrived for Christmas, I was met with quite the shock. Seems he’d taken a turn and was bed-ridden or rather couch-ridden. He couldn’t really talk. He seemed pretty checked out. He ate and drank very little. A nurse came every day, did hygiene things to clean him up, and changed his clothes. But he was there. He was there.
On Christmas morning, I opened all my presents on the floor there by the couch. I showed him everything I opened. I got my Christmas wish/prayer/manifestation, whatever you want to call it. I had wanted him for at least one more Christmas and here he was. I didn’t know it at the time, but that would perpetually be in the running for most precious gift of my life.
Looking back, there are probably seven or eight vignettes from those few days worth memorializing here. Perhaps I will. The point at present however, is to illustrate how one simple question can get you writing. The right question can get you writing. It will pour out of you onto the page or into your click-clacking tip-tapping fingertips. You will laugh, grin, and cry at the vivid recollections. You will know how valuable it is for you to share those recollections with the world. You will know how much it means to others. You will understand how it might help others how they are not alone. Perhaps, they’ll know they are not alone in sorrow through societal demands of constant joy and good cheer. Or someone might just find a bit of humanity and frailty in a broken and isolating world. No matter what, it’s worth the share.
Here are two seasonally appropriate questions to get you going:
What was your favorite gift you’ve ever received around the holidays?
What was your favorite gift you’ve ever given around the holidays?
Sparks 