#1 Ramy’s Alternative Xmas Message

Originally Posted December 25th, 2011

Christmas, they say, is a time to be thankful. I must admit that I’ve never really given a great deal of consideration to the larger, more philosophical side of the festive season, especially with me not being Christian; I’m usually just content with opening my presents, eating some roast turkey, and watching old movies crashed out on the sofa. For some reason, however, I find myself in a slightly more reflective mood this holiday; hence, I give you this – my very first (and quite possibly last!) Facebook note.

2010 was a big year for me – finishing Medical finals, graduating from University, and starting life as a working man (in a town that I had never even visited before, no less). 2011, I figured, was bound to be pretty humdrum and boring by comparison; as it happens, it turned out to be anything but.

It started out in just about the worst possible way I could’ve envisioned – four days into the New Year, my mother passed away. I had been extremely fortunate, in some respects, in that I reached the age of 24 without ever having lost anyone truly close to me. My Mum had been unwell for quite some time, so her passing was not completely unexpected; it did, however, make me start to think about my life in a different way – something that I’d perhaps not fully appreciated until now, almost a full year later.

Like most people, I tend to get very wrapped up in the minutiae of day-to-day life. Looking after patients at work, preparing for assessments, making a good impression for my seniors – important though they undoubtedly are, these are the kinds of thoughts that perhaps occupy more of my time than they really ought to. I never really take time out of my day to consider all the things that, truthfully, make me a very lucky man indeed: my health, having a stable job, getting to spend time with awesome friends, and the uncompromising love and support of my wonderful family – to name but a few.

In a lot of ways, this has been a year of positive new experiences for me as well. Making a new life for myself in Burton-on-Trent; flying off to Jordan, and getting to see members of my family that I had previously never even met before; and camping out for 3 days at V Festival in the company of good friends 🙂 . I must remember never to take such life-enriching things for granted, be they big or small – and I would urge you all, my friends, to do the same. Christmas, they say, is a time to be thankful.