I can always fly.

Just weeks before Christmas I met Stephan on the beach and I was really excited and happy that things turned out well for him, he was well cared for by a Christian family, but it wasn't a Happy Christmas for a few others.

A very dear friend of mine has been helping to nurse her son's, girlfriends mother who had cancer over a period of several weeks and sadly she passed away this Christmas, leaving two young daughters behind trying to work out why their mommy died so young.

I met another man who was spending his first Christmas without his daughter who was murdered earlier this year. He was a very sad and lonely man.

I received a phone call to meet with a lady who had bought one of my paintings and after spending two hours with her over coffee, she shared her story with me, and the sadness that she still struggles with as a result of her husband leaving her for a younger woman.

Yet another lady, phoned me before Christmas and we spoke on the phone for at least an hour. She has been really struggling for a long time with a situation that has caused her a lot of emotional pain over the years and she was about to go into hospital for brain surgery to remove a tumour.

My grandson has been in hospital for the past few days with bronchial pneumonia. My daughter and her husband went away for a two week holiday at the coast and for several days have been trying to deal with the kids getting sick and my grandson finally being admitted into hospital. They haven't exactly had the relaxing holiday they had hoped for.

Being the sensitive, caring person that I am... I find it hard to ignore the suffering of others. We have such high expectations at Christmas that everyone will be with loving family, happy and healthy and all having a wonderful time and that sometimes is not the case. All we can do, is continue to pray for those who have not had an easy time and honestly hope that the year ahead will become easier and less painful.

How was my Christmas and New Year, quiet and alone but peaceful. This morning I went for a long walk on the beach with Bella, the fog was thick across the bay and I could hardly see a couple of meters in front of my nose, but it was beautiful. Soon I will begin packing and then I look forward to the move back to Johannesburg to be with my family again. Maybe next Christmas will be happier. My love and prayers go out to all the people I know who did not have a happy time this year. Hope... the expectation of a positive outcome in the future.