Dear Santa - from 2011.

I know this is a long-shot, but here are a few things I’d love for Christmas, not just this year but for years to come.

1) Please keep My Mum able and healthy enough to be able to play with my children in the future, and please ease her pain, she’s in agony every day but she still stands as the matriarch in the family, she keeps everyone together and strong and needs your help this Christmas to get her through those tough days.

2) Please make My Dad realise that his weight is going to get the better of him, please make him realise he needs to become healthier, because I want My Dad to be able to give me away at my wedding in the future. He’s under so much pressure from all corners of my family; my Mum, me, my Sister and my Nan. We’re always asking him for things and the pressure it puts on his health is going to harm him so badly, and i don’t want to bury my dad before i have children or get married.

3) Please make sure that My Boys, My Angels, My Nephews, have a really happy Christmas. This will be their first year without their Dad with them on Christmas Day and i know My Big Boy will be sad for a few moments because he does miss his Dad. So in those moments just make him remember the happy times and bring him the best day, and make him forget the sadness of it all. For My Little Boy, please keep him happy and make sure he has such a lovely Christmas, he doesn’t know yet how much has happened, and I don’t think he ever will, but please make sure that when he does realise, it’s not a sad moment, and he has to know he has to be strong for his mum and his brother, and i know he will be because he has such a loving heart. So please keep My Boys happy over the next Christmases to come.

4) Please keep my Nan alive. She’s given us so many scares over the last few years and seems so strong in herself at times, but in others she seems so weak. My Nan means the world to me, so please if you could for just a couple of days over Christmas, take her pain away and let her have a wonderful Christmas with her family without having to worry about her knee, or shoulder, or chest, or back, or fingers etc… My Nan may seem like a Scrooge, but she has such a spirit in her that’s always been apparent to me, and i love her so much.

5) This is a big one, and i know it may be way beyond your giving, but hey, it’s Christmas and anything can happen right? So, Lastly for today, or even this year perhaps, PLEASE keep My Boy healthy. Keep away his pains and the nasty illness that tore him apart this year. He is the most incredible person i have ever met. He’s always there for people when he is in need way more than them and he will sacrifice anything to help one of his friends who need him, or to help me. He’s been My Rock for two years and he never fails to make me smile or pick me up when I’m down. I could never say enough good things about him for people to really know just how amazing he is. It’s in those quiet moments with him, just in eachothers arms, and nothing had to be said between us for us to have a great time, that really shows how much i love him, and how happy we can be. He’s perfect to me, and he deserves to have a full and healthy life without the restrictions of an illness. So please, over Christmas and New Year, keep him healthy and free from pain. Last year was the start of a horrible year for him, so this year bring him happiness, joy, amazing presents, laughter, and NO pain. And also, let him know everyday that he is so loved by me, and by so many people.

Merry Christmas, have a good rest after the busiest time of the year for you. Thank you for all the happiness you bring to the world, in figure and in spirit.

Love Lauren. xx