“Mummy,” my five-year-old daughter said a few days’ ago, “I cannot believe it is Christmas already!”

Yes, apparently, my daughter has also found the rush of Christmas excitement a lot to cope with. When she made that statement, I asked her if she had enjoyed the year, and if she had a favourite memory to share. Her answer truly surprised me. She told me that her favourite memory was from when she was in her reception year at primary school, before Great Nan died.

Now, my paternal grandmother died at the age of 79 in November 2015. She was ill in hospital at the time, although it still came as a shock because she seemed to be recovering from her illness. My daughter knew her because we had visited often, but I didn’t think they were quite so close. Her death upset me because she was the first of my grandparents to die, and that was difficult to handle after having them in my life for over thirty years.

I hadn’t stopped to think about how my children would react. I simply assumed that they were too young for it to really have an impact. My daughter misses my Nanna a lot, and we didn’t even live in close proximity. She only saw her during school holidays and at family gatherings, but she had made a connection on a very deep level, and that stayed with her. My daughter truly is an inspirational teacher for her wisdom and her innocent, exuberant love. I think we can all take a lesson from that. And I miss you, Nanna H, even though I know you are with us in Spirit. Lots of love to all who are missing loved ones this Christmas.

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