When 'Thank you' isn't enough- A Christmas Tribute to my Family

This year, I'm looking forward to Max's first Christmas. However, if you've known me for awhile, them you'll know that under normal circumstances I hate Christmas. I hate people banging on about Christmas spirit and then abusing each other on the roads. I hate the wanky Christmas movies that get repeated ad nauseum every single year. Most of all though, I hate Christmas shopping. You know those people who buy the most thoughtful and perfect gifts? That's not me. I totally suck at buying gifts. I really do try to find awesome gifts for my family but somewhere amongst the mayhem of Christmas crowds, Christmas parking and (the most annoying) Christmas Carols, I end up buying total crap. In recent years, I've resorted to buying gift vouchers, so that my family can buy their own crap. But this year I'm stuck because gift vouchers are such an impersonal thing to give my family, after everything they've done for us. So, I'm calling for suggestions for Christmas gifts ASAP. I haven't got any crafty genes in my body (they were distributed elsewhere), so if it's a homemade gift you suggest, then best keep it simple. For now though, I'm going to try my best to find the right words that say to my family, thank you.

Thank you to my sister Kylie who dropped everything that day, to be with us in hospital. Thank you for the food, clean clothes and deoderant. Thank you for sharing this blog. Thank you for being at the other end of my text messages, when I've been having a bad day. Thank you for the work you've done on Max's birthday party. Thank you to my brother-in-law Simon, for all the work you did in the mammoth task of getting my parents back from their overseas cruise. Thank you to my two nieces Shevaun and Kate, for making Max and I laugh (and Shevaun- I'm sorry I missed your birthday party). Thank you Kylie for everything else you've done for us, that I haven't mentioned. I'm really sorry that you were so stressed that your retina detached. I'm sorry that this required emergency surgery. I'm sorry that you had to share a room with 5 old women, who complained all night.

Thank you to my sister Tara who also dropped everything to be with us. Thank you for visiting almost every day, with toys for Max, food for us, clothes and toiletries. Thank you for staying with Max during the times that I needed a break. Thank you for always coming up with brilliant, creative ideas for Max's therapy. Thank you for bringing photos to the hospital and making our room more homely. I know that as soon as I've posted this blog, I'll think of so many other things. So, for all those things that I'll remember once it's too late- thank you.

My Mum and Dad left on a cruise, the day before Max got sick. They had been saving and planning it for years, it was their 40th Wedding Anniversary present to themselves. We stalled on making a decision to contact them. Given that they were in the middle of the Pacific Ocean at the time, they couldn't have done anything until they reached land anyway. They raced back to Melbourne as soon as they got the news (thanks again to Simon for organizing everything). My parents spent, most of their 'holiday' in the hospital with us. How on earth can I find the words to say thank you for that?

Then there's the washing they did for us, the food they bought in and the continual insisting on minding Max so I could rest. Do you have any idea how nice it is when someone insists that you sleep? To my Mum and Dad, I say thank you, even though it will never be enough. Thank you for helping us get services for Max, thank you for letting me catch up on sleep, thank you for sharing this blog and thank you for everything else that I don't have the space to write about.

There's no way, I would've survived this year without the support of my family. Thank you isn't enough, but it's a start.