I’m not sure if this is the right thing to say but I’m getting a little too used to hitting milestones I never thought I would reach. To be honest it’s actually a bit challenging to figure out where to put these emotions. On one hand I am thrilled, almost overwhelmed at how many I seem to be knocking off. But on the other hand I keep hitting milestones and sometimes I don’t give myself the credit for the effort it’s taken to get to these points in time. And on the other other hand I know the story I have told is that I was only given 12-24 months to live so when I keep on keeping on I kinda feel like I’m a bit of the boy that cried wolf.
And no, I’m not stressing about this, these are just thoughts that hit me every single time I achieve something special. I’m organizing the 4th Going Nowhere event, I’ve gotten together with Extraordinary Gentlemen four times now, participated in like a billion Dave Kelly Live shows, four more Sundance Lodge trips, I saw both kids graduate high school and both are happily ensconced in University, Tracey and I have celebrated four more anniversary’s, taken tons of trips and had so many dinner parties. But the one that really marks the passage of time and the thrill of hitting new milestones was the annual raclette Christmas dinner with the family.
Four years ago Jil and Ryan had a little lad named BenJimin and Jil thought it would be nice if Uncle Jim could dress up as Santa. Of course at the time the drugs had my beard silver so it made great sense. But we all figured at that time that this was going to be our only shot at a family moment like this.
I remember the photo as being highly charged and very emotional. It was one of those times where you kinda cry knowing the intensity of the moment. At the time it meant it was my only photo with BenJimin.
And here we are with three more years of Jim as Santa for BenJimin. And it’s really worked well each time as I’m a modern day version of Tim Allen in that my beard changes white each Christmas.
Maybe I’m a Unicorn in a Santa Suit?
