MY MOST VIVID CHILDHOOD MOMENT

Sadly, the worst day of my life is the memory that takes over my childhood memories.
It was grade 3 during the school strike and my brother Chris and I spent the entire time with our dad, in our pajamas just watching Anne of Green Gables and playing games. We loved every single minute of it, but one day all of that turned into the last good memory I made with him.
Not too long after those few weeks, we found out my dad had stage four colon cancer. Our household went from a happy atmosphere to the most depressing place to endure. He soon went into the hospital to get treatment and surgeries, but that only made him worse. I only clearly remember going to visit him once and I had brought him a snow globe that I made him from scratch. What a crafty kid I was, wow. I remember the huge smile on his face as I put that snow globe into the palms of his pale, clammy hands, as he told me "I’ll love you forever". That was the last time I saw him in that horrible hospital, and I am actually very happy about that. Since my mom was going through such a tough time, she sent Chris and me to my aunt and uncle's house for a while.
I soon turned from the constant smiling girl into the quiet girl who was hard to talk to. Our cousins Carissa and Stephen would try very hard to make Chris and I have fun and get out and about, and my brother definitely got caught up in all of that. Chris was only seven when all of this was going on, so he didn't quite understand the reality of it all. All he knew was that daddy was sick.
After spending a few nights at my Aunty Linda's we woke up to a house that was full of the smell of Christmas. The scent of cinnamon and Christmas tree was filling the air, that scent always made me feel great but not that morning. As soon as I woke up, I fled down the stairs and into the living room where I found my aunt, uncle and two cousins sitting together with puffy red eyes taking over their faces. Without a word being said I just knew something was wrong. My aunt woke Chris up and he came downstairs looking like he didn't have a problem in the world, just smiling away. Stephen offered us drinks as if he was a waiter and Chris "ordered" eggnog, and I declined the offer. I just wanted to get to the chase, what the hell had happened that would place us all in the room so awkwardly!? Soon after Chris got his festive drink, Aunty Linda told us that our dad had passed away late last night after his surgery had gone wrong. I knew that she was going to tell us that but I don't think I was really ready for it. I had no idea what to say, one tear ran down my face and soon after, I was the one running up the stairs. I buried my face into fresh pillows and just started to cry. Not too long after, all I could feel was my Aunt's hand rubbing my back.
I will never forget that day and the smell of Christmas in the air which was just begging you to smile and be merry for Santa who was soon on his way, but a smile could not be placed on my face.
When I think about it now, I am happy I never saw him suffering in the hospital and that my mom had not given the news to us. I remember the good times and try to keep that memory out of my mind, but it’s hard. I find it very hard to remember anything in my childhood that occurred before that moment. I see the many pictures I have as a kid and they are just pictures and I am just smiling away, but the memories of that day barely come to mind even though they are in my head somewhere I suppose.
To this day I have not had a glass of the popular Christmas drink, eggnog, and hate to have my back rubbed. Even though I enjoyed it as a child, I have turned my nose up to both since the morning of December 3rd, 2000.