For Carrie Bickmore, Christmas isn’t the joyous kind of holiday and celebration we typically assume it to be.
Instead, it’s a painful and unwelcome reminder of the people she desperately misses and those she would prefer near.
In a new column for Newscorp’s Stellar Magazine, Bickmore made the raw and frank admission that Christmas is far from her favourite time of year.
“As an adult, I know exactly why I find Christmas hard. It’s the time of year I lost someone I loved dearly; it’s a time I am reminded of those wonderful humans who shaped my past but no longer sit at the table with us,” she wrote.
“I miss their cinnamon-smelling hugs, their bad jokes, their funny Christmas videos. Christmas is not the same without them. Every day is not the same without them, but at Christmas it feels amplified.”
Bickmore lost her husband Greg Lange back in December of 2010 after his long battle with brain cancer.
Since then, she has been one of the loudest and most active voices in the Australian media landscape about finding a cure for the disease.
Writing on Instragram on Sunday morning, Bickmore invited those who had simmering feelings of sadness around Christmas to have a read of her column.
“If Christmas isn’t all tinsel and turkey for you…then hopefully you’ll find some comfort in my article today,” she wrote.
Fans of the TV presenter were quick to thank her for her honesty and transparency around her struggles, sharing their own experience with Christmas time.
“Nailed it Carrie. I wasn’t expecting such an emotional reaction to that,” one wrote.
“I lost my 21-year-old son 8 years ago fighting in Afghanistan. Christmas is a time of sadness for me as well. I loved your story Carrie as it made me feel I’m not alone with how I feel,” another shared.
“Finally someone else gets it! Thank you Carrie. Christmas can be a reminder of the people we no longer have in our life, or how much life has changed … I try to be with the ones who love me how I am.”
Carrie talks about sharing her private life:
Top Comments
Gawd this is so maudlin!
TheMissus I don't believe for a second that Carrie lets her sadness stop her from creating joy for those around her or not feel grateful for what she does have. She mentions that in her article and that she still makes it a good time especially for her children. She is also being honest about how she feels that it is a difficult time of year for her as she lost someone significant at this time of year. The anniversary of a passing of a loved one is difficult for almost everyone. Christmas isn't a happy time for everyone, for some people it is a really painful lonely time. & I think she is trying to relate to those who feel the same way by sharing her own struggles. Good on you Carrie.
Well said.