My brother explained that “he” knew her daughter from the bus and wanted to invite her to the party. I held my breath as my kind brother rang her house, pretending to be me. I was too shy to invite the girl from the bus, but knew where she got off, so found her number in the phonebook. Soon, I was constantly repeating her name in my head. Then I noticed her name in the hood of her school raincoat. “ It’ll be lonely this Christmas/ Without you to hold / It’ll be lonely this Christmas / Lonely and cold”Įvery Christmas dinner, Mum used to joke: “Do you remember that Christmas you spent in your room with the light off, playing that record over and over again? What was that all about?” Because she was Mum, neither I nor my brother felt we could tell her.Īt first, I had just registered the girl’s presence on the bus. The snapshot makes me smile so much as Evie is so happy in it, and so are Benson and Alex!Īnne Sharman Playlist: My first crush said no, so I lived these lyrics He never invades her space and neither does she his. Evie decided she wanted a tummy rub, too, and adopted the same pose as Benson – lying on her back with legs and arms in the air to indicate that it was her turn.īenson just turned on his side as the photograph was taken, slightly changing his pose.Īlex had to multitask the tickling and Evie was soon laughing hysterically at being tickled as well as the dog.Įvie and Benson respect each other and get on just fine. My 18-month-old granddaughter, Evie, was feeling a bit left out when Uncle Alex (known to Evie as Bubble, as he buys and blows bubbles for her), was tickling Benson’s tummy.Īlex is my youngest son and Benson belongs to his girlfriend, Gem, and is a lovely, gentle rescue dog – a staffie and border collie cross. So, when you have finished reading this article give some thought to which of your family and friends will be in this delicate situation, and give them a call ask what they will be doing and see if you can help or get together with them at some point.Snapshot: Uncle Bubble’s double tummy tickle This can involve a meal, going to the pub, going to the panto, or whatever. Everyone’s circumstances are different, but getting together to give your support at this most difficult of times will always be remembered. If your bereaved Mum, Dad, relative or friend does live close by then making a point of seeing them at Christmas is important. They might say “Oh, I’ll be alright” and say that you don’t have to bother, but calling them will be really appreciated. So if this is the case for you, and you cannot physically get to see your Mum or Dad or friend, who are facing their first Christmas on their own, make sure that you telephone them or Skype them. Unfortunately, this is not always the case, and families can live far away – even on the other side of the planet. Those who are fortunate to have family – adult children and grandchildren – nearby can probably rely on them rallying around to make sure that there is lots to do to keep them occupied and raise their spirits “Christmas is a time for children” is a pretty accurate statement, and seeing grandchildren’s excitement at waiting for Santa to call will gladden anyone’s heart. When you know that they won’t be “alright”. A typical response that will be given to the commonly asked question of “What will you be doing this Christmas?” will be “Oh, I’ll be alright”.