A quick blog. It is the season of Christmas, the time for goodwill towards ALL men. Including ex-partners, the ex-in law and generally everyone of an annoying persuasion that you wouldn't normally have to have anything to do with.

For me, this week, my life has been a challenge. I really was not looking forward to spending Christmas with my ex-mother-in-law who views me as a satanist because I am a medium. That is just the tip of the iceberg. Way down low, beneath the ice covered water lies the true reason the woman hates the sight of me. I am representative to her of all things wrong with our society. I had a child with her son, her darling eldest son who can do no wrong. I digress. The challenge is purely internal, for me, to force myself to spend a day with a Roman Catholic ex-mother-in-law who actually believes she is saintly and she is surrounded by lesser mortals who are in need of her disapproval in order to correct the error of their ways.

The reason I agreed to spend my Christmas Day, CHRISTMAS DAY, with the unholy cow, no, not unholy, sorry, scrub that, the holier than thou cow, is because of my 16 year old son. My dear little boy who is learning how to be a man by watching his hapless father screw his life up and trying to figure out how to grow in this ever changing world that is enough to drive a saint crazy.

I managed it, but I needed the help of spirit. I have been given the message by a fellow medium that Christmas was "not going to be as bad as you think". I clung to this message like a survivor of the Titanic clung to bits of driftwood. My daily mantra, it is not going to be as bad as you think. It is not going to be as bad as you think. I involved myself in daily activities to take my mind off the forecoming drama/travesty/sure to be a row Day that is Christmas. As the day loomed nearer I kept getting signs from spirit, little signs that are insignificant to a non-believer, but to me they offer a lifeline that I cling to in order to get me through it.

I know I had them, what were they now? This is the point I wish I wrote my coincidences down, my signs from spirit that are clear to me at the time, vanish with even just a few days of normal life happening, and with Christmas happening I am struggling to recall the signs that I had over a few days leading up to Christmas. Oh yes, I remember on a day when there was snow on the floor and ice everywhere and my head was full of churning about what was going to happen at Christmas, a squirrel appeared out of nowhere and looked at me and ran across my path. A beautiful squirrel. The spiritual symbol I have designated to my son. Whenever I am 'given' a squirrel from spirit I know I have to focus more on my son than usual and pay attention to his needs more than I normally do.

Sure enough, the next day my son came home from a sleepover where he had a really bad headache, an upset tummy and generally unwell feeling. I suspect this illness has been brought about by the stress of Christmas and his awareness that I don't want to go and spend it with his Nan and his Dads side of the family. I put my feelings to one side and I focus on doing what is right for Charlie and I am reminded again that the only thing that matters at Christmas is the love of family members and emotional peace and stability.

On Christmas Day I ventured into the dragons lair and had a wonderful day. The day was guarded by angels on all four corners of the house, I swear, that can be the only explanation for the happiness, contentment, peace, laughter and love that emanated from the Christmas experience we all shared. My son and I, his Nan, his Uncle and his new girlfriend played Trivial Pursuit in the afternoon with Charlies Dad who turned up unannouned with his 7 stone dalamation leading the way.

As I stood in the living room wondering what sort of miracle had taken place, a Christmas Card that had been blu-tacked to the wall, flew off from a height of about 8ft and landed at my feet. The card said Merry Christmas and was from someone called John. My son's grandpa who died 3 years ago was called John. I pointed it out to Charlie and Uncle J's new gf and silently wished John a Merry Christmas too, and Aunty Janet and Nanny Hardy everyone in spirit who I know must have been helping to oil the wheels of peace.