Silver and Pearls

"Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love." - Hamilton Wright Mabi

It is a silver and pearl Christmas for us this year.  I normally choose the theme for our holiday from something that happened during the year or someplace we travelled.  It was a strange year for me.  No big trips or new adventures.  I decided on the silver because Merv and I marked our twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in August and the pearls because I like white.

My back and hip remain painful so Christmas decorating is going slow.  Today I did the banister.  Tomorrow I will tackle the fireplace mantel.  Perhaps I will do the upstairs tree this weekend.  I haven't really been in the mood.  A little more than a week ago, Jacob and Courtney ended their romance after three years.  It was a mutual decision but one that left them both sad.  I'm sad too.  Courtney has virtually lived in our home for much of these last few years.  She was a God send to me this summer when I was bedridden with back trouble.  She cared for me and looked after me.  I don't know what I would have done without her.  I know the relationship between she and I will continue.  We didn't break up.  But it won't be the same.  I didn't have my girl kid to snuggle up with and watch TV on the weekend.  I miss her already.  A couple of days after the break-up, I got the news of the death of an old friend.  Old, in the sense that we've known one another since 1993 but certainly not in the sense that he was old.  Stewart was one of the most brilliant men I have known.  He left us all too early at the age of 67. 

His death started me thinking about how many funerals I've been to this year and how much loss I've been witness to.  2014 hasn't been the kindest year.  There are just 29 days left in December.  I'm trying to make the best of them but in all honesty, I can't say I will be sad to close the book on this year.