How do you deal with disappointments? I’ve been asking myself that question over the past few days. Sometimes things just don’t work out how we’d planned or hoped and it can be a hard pill to swallow…

I’d been looking forward to this Christmas for some months. The whole family was excited to be coming together to celebrate this special time in our own home, where we had just moved to a couple of months earlier. It had felt a long time coming, after Christmas family gatherings ruined by Covid and subsequently re arranging the following year. I was so happy to be welcoming our growing family of children, partners and grandchildren It would be the first time for these little ones to have Christmas at our house and their 95-year-old great grandmother was also joining us.

A few days before the arrivals were due, we’d bought the tree, decorated the house and hosted a pre-Christmas meal for some new local friends. We were in the seasonal mood and looking forward to the week ahead.

The first sign of trouble came in the form of a simple text from our neighbours asking if we had water, as they had lost theirs. Within 24 hours we had no running water and a stack of water bottles had been delivered by South West Water. That day as I stood in the kitchen attempting to wash my hands and clean the sink with a bottle of water, I began to wonder how this was going to work … Christmas dinner for nine adults and three children…was it even possible with no running water?

After lots of phone calls and the failure of the water company to fix all the leaks and reconnect us to the mains, a mini tank of water was eventually delivered to our drive – toilets could now be flushed and showers used sparingly. Christmas wasn’t cancelled, although it wasn’t going to be quite as relaxed as we’d hoped.

As the family arrived in stages and Christmas Eve approached the next seasonal “missile” hit us, when one of the family went down with a bug, followed by another and another… From Christmas Eve to beyond Boxing Day, there was always someone absent, struck down and not eating, while others were in recovery!

However, Christmas 2022 did happen in our house. Santa paid a visit and stockings were opened amid sighs and squeals of delight. Everyone was together, most of the time. We served up delicious meals, for some. At least one or two games were played and a few Christmas films watched beside the fire.

As the first branch of the family attempted to depart, they discovered their car steering had given up. And so the final straw this Christmas came in the form of a breakdown relay truck that transported our son, daughter-in-law and their 15 month old son back to London. Thankfully the youngest member was thrilled about a ride in a truck, even if his parents were less sure!

We all know things don’t always work out how we’d hoped and the danger of looking forward to something so much, is that we can be left feeling disappointed when things don’t live up to our expectations. So, do we look for someone to blame? Do we try to find a positive and be thankful for what we have in comparison to so many others? Maybe easier said than done!

One of the family muttered the essence of this verse during the unfolding daily dramas.. “suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope..”

As I swallow down my disappointment and the visible sadness of the rest of the family, I’m trying to remain hopeful for happier family gatherings in the future, because I’ve certainly been enduring something!

On the positive side, there were no arguments or fall outs – we were too busy fighting sickness and refilling water tanks!