Christmas Shopping

The Ryan tradition has always been for my Dad, me and a sister or two going out shopping a couple of days before Christmas to try and get all the presents for my Mum in one day. It either turns out really well, or really bad. When we were younger, my Dad was left with the biggest task of deciding by himself. But as we have all gotten older, we have gradually taken over the task of deciding what to get and making sure we get it all in one day. The only thing he has to do is provide the transportation and giving over his card to pay for it all.

In the last couple of years, we have bypassed the local high streets in hope that there might be something amazing to buy, when we know for sure that there won't be anything, to go straight to Bluewater, the shopping centre in Kent.

Today, there was an very serious accident on the M25, J30-31, which impacted on the whole of the M25 which we were on- J2. It meant that the usual 1 hour journey turned into a 3 hour journey with us moving a mile within one hour.

It was suffice to say that our mood plummeted slowly until we were all positively annoyed that we were at a complete standstill. Although I wanted to just get to the shopping centre, my heart went out to the families of the people involved in the multiple vehicle accident and I hoped to God that nobody was seriously hurt.

My mind then turned to all the families who lost their children in the heart-breaking tragedy in America. All the parents who wouldn't be able to spend their Christmas with their precious small children and I couldn't imagine the way they are feeling.

Sometimes, we can't predict what will happen, as unpredictable as a motor crash or as grand, and completely, unthinkable and unimaginable as a massacre. I know that this time of year- Christmas is all about spending precious time with your family and making sure that everyone around you knows that you love them dearly.

Having such tragedies brought to the front of our attention, we remember that life is a delicate balance between living life to the fullest and making sure we don't risk our lives to disrupt the thin line between life and death. If you're lucky enough to have all your family around you, make sure you let them know how much you love them, through words or simply through actions. Nothing is more important, or invaluable as the people that unconditionally love you for the whole of your life.

Going back to my earlier start, we managed to get all the shopping done when we finally got to the shopping centre and hopefully Mum will like everything we bought. But remember, no matter how much money you spend, the greatest gift we can ever give anyone is the gift of love and admiration.

Love to you all, we're all special people and the people around you love you!
xxx