December 1st

I can't complain when it comes to my history with December. I've experienced all of those joys associated with this festive month. I've known family and love and luck and gratitude. I've lived warmth and health and fortune and good will. I have always been swept up in the sparkle and song of it all and I hope I always will be. With experiencing such good fortune, I must take more than just a moment to acknowledge those and act for those who can't have this storybook Christmas I experience.

A few years ago I was confronted in a more personal way with how Christmas isn't picturesque for all, and I understood indefinitely what Christmas must truly mean. There was a family tragedy and an unexpected wave of grief spread not too long before December came about. I grieved too. I was heartbroken for my mother and I was heartbroken for what could have been. I still experienced a lovely December but with a slightly sour twist and an ache in my heart. I saw my mother's broken heart and her normal happy, Christmassy December self become weaker. I seek to always remember this and treat her with the love and care my lovely mum deserves.

For my mother, December 1st means remembering what is lost and for me it means taking extra special care to let my mother know my heart is with her. It means remembering who are not with us and loving without limits so that those affected so dearly can feel a festive presence. And festive must mean love and sincerity. If the girl from the John Lewis advert (2015) (who is maybe expected to be fully captivated by the sparkles and music of Christmas can understand this, we all should- and we should encourage all to find this every Christmas. And every day until it rolls about again).

Christmas is such a special time for a lot of people, but for a lot of people it is not. So, here, I'm going to link a few charities below. There's something I will be doing in my local area for charity and then when I can, I will be donating money to a charity I have not chosen yet. If you can donate to any of these charities or any other charity, please do! If you can't, spread the message!

Crisis, a charity for homeless people
Rainbow Trust, a children's charity
Age UK, a charity for helping older people love their life

Charity & Smiles,

The Girl in the Moonlight.

P.S. I will be posting every day up until Christmas for Blogmas and you can read about that HERE!