The Ghost of Christmas Past

10 years after the Christmas of 1999, I believe my life may be irrepairably broken
and worse, that my very own spirit is broken,
10 years ago, on a Christmas Eve, my family was gathered in my home, together for a very different kind of Christmas. Because in the previous summer, our Mother had died, and so 2 generations came to my home, to be together and find a way to celebrate the season without her.
Tonight, I am alone. It is not Christmas Eve, but The Ghost of Christmas Past has appeared to me these past 4 nights, and I am being haunted indeed, by Ghosts and Memories bearing light, while The Present appears relentlessy grim. The season eludes me now. Is the problem within me, (which I entirely believe?), or is the World Truly A Mess?
Because I do think about my death now. I am 54. Both my parents have left this Earth, I have given two children and one of them has given a daughter to life.
I am 54. Suddenly that isn't such a bad number. Maybe its been a bunch of bad juju these last couple days, or past 10 years. could it be catastrophobia? really bad feng shu? could it be helped by seeing "my doctor" and getting on the right antidepressant? or maybe its just simple constipation?
on the other hand, its probably the stench of approaching death. cycle of life, cycle of death. its easy to be all philosophical about the subject until realizing you are 54 years old, both parents died of diseases which were a direct result of their personal life choices(ie smoking drinking eating high fat animal foods and ingestin copious amounts of white sugar/white flour products resulting in hardening of the arteries, high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, diabetes, cancers of various sorts, depression, insomnia, and here am I , drinking wine and smoking cigarettes till the cows come home.