Looking outside as I type this, the snow is falling and the mercury has begun to plummet into double digits. This time of year I always find myself being a little conflicted.
The summer is my favourite season. The mosquitoes and bugs kinda suck but I'll take the warmth, golfing and time spent sharing campfires under the stars with Lee and the family all year round if I could. Something so simple brings me so much happiness. For this reason I despise winter because I don't like the cold, being stuck inside for months and the sun is rarely seen.
For as much as I can't stand the arrival of winter, I also appreciate that it brings the end of the year and a perfect opportunity to reflect on what has happened over the last 12 months and to appreciate the people in my life.
I am so blessed on several points. I have a loving, funny, beautiful and intelligent girlfriend who; despite my quirks and weird behaviour; embraces my faults and brings so much happiness into my life every day.
Her two beautiful daughters and their husbands have welcomed me into their lives from day one and I appreciate them very much. The year has been stressful at times but our support and love for each other grows every day. I love you Lee.
My parents are still alive, which in my father's case is a miracle. Over three years ago, in June 2014, dad was diagnosed with with Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancer had formed in his only remaining kidney and had moved beyond it. The prognosis was not good and the Oncologist told us that Christmas 2014 would be his last.
My dad is my hero and I've never known a stronger, sweeter, more hard working or caring man. But he also showed me just how much of a fighter he is as well. The road hasn't been easy for him but he's still fighting hard and if all goes well he'll celebrate his 80th birthday in June.
Mom has faced her own battles as well, including surgery to have a defibrillator / pacemaker placed in her chest. The woman never stops going.
At 76 she still caters for the Lioness Club, canvasses for the Cancer Society and prevents dad from becoming a permanent part of the furniture by keeping him active. I don't say it enough but I love you mom and dad.
The year brought some fun moments along the way including a visit from my brother Scott, sister-in-law Erin and the kids who traveled from Florida to spend a couple of weeks here in the summer. We had so much fun and made some amazing memories.
Lee's daughter Addison got married to Conrad in October in Collingwood and we were so happy to be a part of their special day. Now we await the arrival of a baby girl due later this month. Lee's oldest daughter Jessyca and her husband Matt were here a few weeks ago and we all celebrated little Dax's first birthday.
I truly believe that family is always the most important thing in our lives and I have been blessed to have oodles of family moments this year. Life may throw you some curve-balls and challenges along the way but family is always the glue and support system you can count on.
Traditionally I suppose Thanksgiving is the time to give thanks and be grateful for what you have but to be honest, this past Thanksgiving I wasn’t feeling particularly happy about what was happening in my life or the life of my family.
This year for the most part had been one hellish roller-coaster ride for me and my family. Perhaps I was just blinded by all the negative things to see the good stuff that happened in 2014 but to be honest, the bad news was so great that I didn’t feel much like smiling or enjoying the good times.
The most important man in my life, my father, has been dealing with a deadly form of cancer since the summer and the prognosis seemed bleak at best. I’m not a doctor but I suppose that’s still the case but luckily there has been some good news just in time for Christmas.
With cancer moving from his only remaining kidney into his lungs, you can imagine it was a very depressing summer and autumn. We did our best to put on a brave face and my father has done an amazing job of remaining positive and was willing to fight this bastard of a disease as best he could.
I’m not an overly religious person so I’m not going to say divine intervention has played a part in the latest results. 
I truly believe modern medicine has come a long way with advancements to prolong the lives of those stricken with this affliction. It was very welcome news a few weeks ago when my dad visited the doctor at the cancer clinic and was told that there were no new lesions or growth in his lungs and kidney. What was even more amazing was the fact the existing tumors had shrunk “significantly”. We knew full well going into the treatment with these expensive chemo pills that it wasn’t a cure. All we were hoping for was more time with my dad and to give him a chance. It appears as though that will be the case.
With any luck the pills will continue to do their job and keep the cancer in check for a while, thus allowing my father to enjoy more time on this earth and for those of us who love him, more time to irritate and annoy his grumpy ass. Any extra time and every day is a blessing.
On a personal level, the end of 2014 has also brought some unexpected but long sought after love into my life. That’s right, I met someone.
The funny thing is; I’ve known her for well over 30 years. We went to high school together and have always been friends.
We had touched base from time to time over the last few years and chatted online. I had dated several women this year with no love connection and perhaps with all that was happening with dad my heart really wasn’t into it. And then one day while chatting with her, something finally clicked in me. I realized that this woman and friend would be an amazing person to date and pursue a relationship with. Of course, that all depended on whether or not she had any interest in me. As it turns out, she was interested.
Officially we’ve been dating for three weeks but since we’ve known each other for so long and been talking so much in recent years, it feels as though we’ve been together for much longer. We were able to skip that whole “getting to know each other” phase since we already knew each other so well. It’s safe to say she is my best friend and we get along so well. We are always laughing and having a good time together. We just click and are comfortable with each other. I know my family will grow to love her as much as I do.
So 2014 was bloody awful for the most part but some amazing news and events at the tail end of the year has turned the whole year around. This will truly be the happiest Christmas for me in a very long time.
