You know on reflection, Christmas as a kid at our family home was as good as life gets! Not so much for the quality or quantity of festive gifts that we received, but so much more for the feeling that you belonged to something quite special – a family that truly loved one another. Sure, we were all individuals we were all different (OK, your right – Pip wasn’t, he was the same). But collectively we made a tight nit unit of caring human beings proudly known as The Baskervilles. We each had our place we each had our function. Mine was always at the foot of mum’s bed on Christmas day recounting the colourful stories of the past and dropping the one-liners (but only if I thought someone needed it that is). Isn’t it funny that after all these years that some things have not changed. Now dear Helen was always the prime mover in getting our house Christmaseee, as she would put it. Decorations, music, card display, atmosphere she made it happen for all of us every year. Its true, Margaret always bought the best gifts. Nothing educational mind you but they were always really good fun! David mostly projected a rather disinterested posture in all this emotional Christmas stuff but he never let you down. He gave his gifts around but I tell you now, you are only going to get educational presents from him. Still, he always played his part to the letter in whatever family event required his input whether he held the necessary skills for it or not. Folks, no doubt about it Tom was there for the presents. Lots of toys please, was Tom’s only thoughts at Christmas time. The trick for him was to make them last at least past Christmas lunch before they would all brake. Still, I think our family Christmas time meant the most to Pip. Well, he was the youngest and he did get lots of really really really nice presents because of that special lucky lucky status. The Ba%$#&d! Still looking up from his low physical position he could clearly see the strong ties that bound our family together and understood their importance to his developing wellbeing. So, if laughter is your choice of entre and acceptance is your desire for main course and inclusion is your wish for dessert, then I am sure that Pip would highly recommend to each of you a healthy double dose of our family. They all have these qualities to overflowing and unashamedly share them around even without prompting. In my personal opinion, you could not wish to be in the company of a better bunch of people – ever. Well, our merry band of six kids and two parents that fitted so comfortably on mum’s double bed most every Christmas morning in times past – has sort of exploded! These days in 2004, we would need to rent out an entire Captian Snooze store just to fit everyone onto a bed on Christmas morning – what with mum and dad, the 6 begats with their 6 outlaws, the 23 grandkids and the one great grand child. So who do we have to thank for this precious heritage of family love and acceptance yep that’s right, my mum and dad. But talk to them openly and they will tell of the family love that they too received for their parents. What they had received they have given. It is my hope, that my great grand father’s dying wish for his three children which was to “love one another as I have loved you” be also our singular commitment to every member of the greatly extended family of Henry and Anne Baskerville Merry Christmas 2004 to you all – Sam. [Mum]
