Today was our Stroke Support group (WAGS) Christmas Party. I guess 1st December is a good time to start a Christmas season and I was ready for it. Ray and I slept in till 9am which is late for me. It was just gentle rain and overcast today so no brilliant sunshine to wake us up. Trev had to go off early too as he has an "extra" cleaning job and that will occupy his spare time in the next couple of weeks and earn him some extra money too.

The party was held in a couple of rooms in our local club, big area, tastefully decorated, not over the top, plenty of space to move between tables which is what you need when there are a few people with wheelchairs or walkers. There were about fifty people there, men and women, stroke survivors, caregivers and a few miscellanious relatives and friends.

The meal was superb, it was good quality, well presented. And yes, it was turkey, ham and lamb, a very good combination of vegetables, cranberry sauce, gravies etc. Three kinds of dessert, chocolates to go with the coffee etc. The disc jockey played the guitar as well and there was dancing - yeah!

Now our stroke survivors are mostly 50's and 60's, their deficits range from "hard to see any changes" to barely able to walk. What amazed me was that the more affected they were the more they danced! Some danced with an able bodied caregiver, some with a stick, or holding the back of a chair for balance but all danced with joy on their faces! And they whooped and cheered and made a lot of noise while they did it too.

When Ray first had the strokes and we went out I didn't dance. For me it was a sensitivity issue. I reasoned that as we couldn't dance together (and Ray loved to dance) out of respect for him I wouldn't dance either. Looking back that was pretty strange reasoning but it was how I felt at the time. Now I dance. I get in the middle of a bunch of other women with similarly affected husbands and I shake it all about. Ok - stop imagining that!

The nice thing about dancing in a group is that no-one is staring at you, no-one is worried about how you look or how awkward you are, they are too busy having fun themselves to take notice of what you are doing. The guitar player was a nurse who works in rehabilitation and he said he had never seen anyone have more fun than we all had. I felt as if I wanted to hug everyone there. They have through the Scallywags group all been so good to Ray, and through being there among such brave and lively souls I have learned so much about making the most of the life you have - whatever disabilities that life may be encumbered with.

There were a few who didn't dance, Ray didn't. I offered to hold him on the floor but he didn't want to, told me to go ahead and join in though. One couple sat looking fairly grim through all the dancing. He has started having seizures, had one on the day before the womens weekend away which meant his wife didn't come to the weekend. She looks tired and run-down and I can see it has taken a toll on them both. I wanted her to come and dance but I guess she isn't ready to relax, forget her troubles and just have fun yet. Too caught up in the frustrations of sickness and the general unfairness of life. Such a pity as they are both fortyish with small children and a mortgage etc.

The lead up to Christmas can be pretty hectic but it can be a blessing too and a great time to reflect on where we are now and where we want to head in 2008.

Dancing - yeah! :bouncing_off_wall: :laughbounce: :Clap-Hands: :happydance: :Dance: :music_band: :violin: