A guest blog from Amanda's dad

The end of a year and the beginning of a new year are times for reflection and remembrance, and 2016 is certainly one to be remembered with extremely mixed emotions.  My mind goes back to this time in 2015 when Carole and I were contemplating Christmas 2015, albeit with acute apprehension, as it seemed quite likely that it could be Amanda’s last Christmas.  Who would have thought that 2015 would instead be Carole’s last Christmas and that in 2016 Amanda would miraculously still be with us?

Carole’s condition(s) had seemed to be under medical control through her various consultants, whilst Amanda’s were deemed to be terminal.  However, we enjoyed Christmas 2015 doing the traditional things that we’ve done for many years, and got through December 27th remembering Amanda’s sister Stephanie’s birthday; she would have been 40 years old this year.

In a previous blog Amanda has mentioned a plaque that I bought for Carole engraved ‘Every day is a gift from God’, and it really is!  I believe that we should all live every day as if it were our last, and I’ve certainly got no regrets at all on how our family has lived through the years when we were all together.  We have had a tremendous life filled with love, laughter (a very important ingredient) and had amazing holidays.  We also have been blessed with brilliant friends with whom we shared our lives, and not surprisingly those same friends are still there supporting me through this surreal period of my life. Sadly two of these families have suffered bereavement and serious illness as have Amanda’s husband’s family.

The Bible tells us that God doesn’t give us more than we are able to deal with and I truly believe that is one of the reasons that Amanda is still alive; I couldn’t cope with life without her.  Amanda and I visited Christian Healing rooms not too long ago where it was implied that we had both been spared to do special work; we are both up for it.

Only yesterday Amanda had hair extensions and she looks absolutely stunning, and to me and everyone that has seen her recently the old Amanda is back!  As her father and seeing her most days I tend to notice changes, but recently these changes are certainly for the good.  She is also getting involved with certain projects at her old workplace; this is a good thing for her I feel, but a challenge after having such a long and arduous lay off of course. 

Going back to my first sentence Christmas 2016 will be filled with mixed emotions. It will be a cocktail of celebration and sadness, but with a mixer of wonderful memories of Christmases gone by. God willing we will have many more ahead of us to share.