When my mother lost most of her sight just before Christmas 2022 it was a bolt from the blue. She has always seemed quietly invincible to me. Despite the many devastations life has thrown at her, she is a fiercely independent spirit who keeps her head down and gets on with things. She has survived breast cancer, losing several of her siblings and many other tribulations.
Through it all, every December without fail, she ensures that we have a great Christmas. She has always believed in the magic of the festive season. It isn’t just for children, in her view, but for the adults who have endured so much over the course of a year. They deserve a feast, the sense of communion that comes with it, and the human connection that feels so potent at this time. As it can also be a terribly lonely period for some, my mother has always invited relatives who have no one to spend that time with.
