I'm so pleased for you that you had a much better day than you had feared - good for your brother, really in my eyes he's the important one of the 3, and he made the effort - the sight of your boy and his granddad will be a joy for you to hold on to and a wonderful warm memory for your son.
I'm really glad to read of Christmases that went well - I thought my sister was spending time with dad on Christmas day (we have set days to visit in each week so dad has a visit every day but never together - long story) and hoped that his 3 (adult, single) grandsons would visit him (after all, they're living in his house for free - another long story) - I've spent every Christmas with dad for the last 9 (after mum's death) as her house, she said, with husband, 3 large sons and dogs would be too much for him (though she put me on a guilt trip when dad had to go into a home earlier this year saying she wanted him to live with her and how it was just bad timing as they were having work done!). So I had a quiet, but pleasant time on my own. I went to see him yesterday to find she'd gone in on Christmas Day for only 45 minutes (lunch? yet we each usually go for a few hours in the evening to help him settle) and unaccompanied. I'm so very sad to think of dad on his own for practically all the day - yes, I know there were carers and residents, but they're not family - and I could so easily have gone in had I known (maybe there's a good reason) but now I can't change it. Thank goodness dad wouldn't grasp the situation and of course won't remember anything, which is comforting. I'm finding it hard to take in, though as, with you exhausted 2015, I'm thinking that this may well be dad's last Christmas. Oh well, I can't change what's past, so best look to the future and make 2016 as good as it can be.
Sorry for the hijack - maybe just wanted to let you know why I am so very, very glad that your brother turned up and that your son and his granddad had such a special time
I'm really glad to read of Christmases that went well - I thought my sister was spending time with dad on Christmas day (we have set days to visit in each week so dad has a visit every day but never together - long story) and hoped that his 3 (adult, single) grandsons would visit him (after all, they're living in his house for free - another long story) - I've spent every Christmas with dad for the last 9 (after mum's death) as her house, she said, with husband, 3 large sons and dogs would be too much for him (though she put me on a guilt trip when dad had to go into a home earlier this year saying she wanted him to live with her and how it was just bad timing as they were having work done!). So I had a quiet, but pleasant time on my own. I went to see him yesterday to find she'd gone in on Christmas Day for only 45 minutes (lunch? yet we each usually go for a few hours in the evening to help him settle) and unaccompanied. I'm so very sad to think of dad on his own for practically all the day - yes, I know there were carers and residents, but they're not family - and I could so easily have gone in had I known (maybe there's a good reason) but now I can't change it. Thank goodness dad wouldn't grasp the situation and of course won't remember anything, which is comforting. I'm finding it hard to take in, though as, with you exhausted 2015, I'm thinking that this may well be dad's last Christmas. Oh well, I can't change what's past, so best look to the future and make 2016 as good as it can be.
Sorry for the hijack - maybe just wanted to let you know why I am so very, very glad that your brother turned up and that your son and his granddad had such a special time
