Life has just been getting better and better, my first Christmas as a normal sized person is shaping up to be great. I still have my worries and struggles - when is enough when it comes to weight loss? Should I have a boob job? Am I eating too much?

Then my friend called me last night. Exactly a year ago, he started chemo for leukaemia but despite that, his doctors told him in March that his condition is terminal. Recently, he was told that it looked as if he was going into remission and they have moved back from his "sentence" of having only 18 months left to live to leaving it open ended for now. Things were looking great for him and we are due to have a big night out on the 28th to Celebrate his remission.

But his call last night was to tell me that he had gone for a scan and they'd found a tumour on his heart - and he was scared. We talked for an hour, there are some options for treatment then I hung up the phone and cried. Woke up this morning and my first thought was how much I have to be grateful for - my health, my new life, my family and friends - and the prospect of a longer life due to my WLS.

My friend has just turned 40. We will take things as they come, as we have done for the last year, and will look forward to 2014 with hope.

Merry Christmas to you, I hope you have something to be grateful for this festive season xxx

Indigo, I know exactly what you are going through. This week I had a dear friend lose one of her 19 year old twin son to an auto accident. He was in a coma for two weeks and we were all praying for a Christmas miracle.

Another heartache came in a phone call from my brother on law letting is know my sister in law who has battled breast cancer since 2007. Last year it spread to her spine and now they found a tumor on her brain. It's a bittersweet Christmas to say the least.

OMG, I am so sorry to hear about your friend's son and your sister in law. These things are tough at any time of the year but at Christmas it feels more acute...

Couldn't agree with you more. I'm not really the happy-go-lucky grateful kind of person. But as I was out and about today I saw instance after instance of blatant disregard for others and lack of common curtesy. Most of it was while driving, some was in stores. I just couldn't believe it. Seems like people really have forgotten the reason for the season. I just couldn't figure out why people didn't feel blessed. Why they seemed more pissed off than happy. Just made me sad.

Kindness matters so much, and taking the time -- not hurrying and missing out on what is important. Thanks for these reminders of how fortunate we are each day to have what we have and best wishes to all not only for the holiday season but each day.