"So You'll All Be Home" ....

.... is a sentence I've been hearing a lot lately.  Or a variance thereof.
It seems that every time I bump into someone they ask me if all of the kids are coming home for Christmas.
Yes, they are.
We'll all be here together for a week.
I'm looking forward to it.

But we're not all home.
I know that everyone only has the kindest and best intentions when asking this question, and then following it up with that statement.
And I always answer in the affirmative.

Well, not always.
One person asked if everyone would be home and I said "Yes."
Then they followed it up with, "So no one will be missing."
To which I replied ...... "Jim will be missing."
Thankfully that person understood.

I just couldn't answer that statement in the affirmative.
Yes, the "after family" will all be home and no one will be missing.
But the "before family" won't be here.  Many parts of them are gone .... not to mention one whole person.
The "after family" is moving forward and doing well, but it has a pretty big hole in it.
That hole is very acutely felt at this time of the year.

I've only had one breakdown per day this week .... and none yet today.
Not a bad run, considering my past experience.

Christmas Eve will be hard.
Really hard.
But .... it is what it is.

So while I'm thankful .... and grateful .... that all six of my wonderful children will be with me by Sunday evening ..... Jim is still missing.

And being missed.

Happy Weekend, Peeps.

:)