December 22nd, 2008
So this is Christmas
Christmas Past
As a young mum I remember Christmases where all the family came for the day and the days and weeks before were spent shopping for mountains of food. The house was full of grandparents, children and pets and bin liners full of wrapping paper were stored in the garage until they could be disposed of. Everyone loved seeing everyone and overlooked that there were not enough chairs or matching glasses. The main room was crowded and chaotic and full of bonhomie. It is easy to glorify those days but I also remember the juggling act to get all the food cooked on time and little comments about how “we always used to have homemade Christmas pudding”. After Christmas lunch, when everyone had stuffed themselves so full they could hardly move, grandfather’s snoring in the big armchair sent the children to play in the other room. The meal that had taken so long to prepare was demolished in an hour or two and then there was acres of dishes to be washed. It seemed to last forever. At the end of the day everyone seemed happy but there had been little time to really talk to everyone. Those days are gone.
Christmas Present
Nowadays, like many other families ours is fragmented. Christmas is a series of much smaller events and I made a rule to myself that I will never guilt trip my children to spend Christmas day with me. All the family try to see each other over the Christmas period and we also try not to do the same thing two years running, so there are no expectations. 
Last weekend lots of the family met up down South and I travelled over two hundred miles to be with them. It was great. This year my beautiful daughter and her lovely husband are coming to stay with us and we’ve planned some good food. We will have extras such as tangerines, nuts and chocolates and of course mince pies but it won’t take weeks of shopping and we’ll not be spending a fortune. We’re hoping for time to go for a walk by the canal in the afternoon and a chance to really catch up on news. Next week my brother-in -law and sister-in -law are coming to spend New Year’s Eve with us and stay over. Another small gathering but again an opportunity to spend some quality time together.
Although this is a different model of Christmas from the past I’ve really enjoyed it so far. I love the Christmas cards, especially the home-made ones and even did a few of my own this year (with a very cheesy poem inside). I love the round robin letters and the personal notes, which give a chance to catch up on what everyone’s been up to. I love taking the time to contact people I haven’t heard from in a while and choosing little presents for my loved ones. I love the carols and the children’s Christmas films, full of hope and love (I know they’re soppy, but it’s allowed). I’m not ignoring the Christian element, which personally is important to me, but the Christmas holiday period can be a time for everyone, each year, where we take stock on the important things in life and a step back from the pressures of everyday life.
I wish everyone a very happy Christmas time and hope this year it will be a time of peace, without any natural disasters; a time to contact old friends and see the family.
Christmas Future
Who knows what the future will bring. If you look at Earth from space we live on the most beautiful planet. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all peoples of all nations could somehow think of ourselves as united in this incredible place and find a way to live in harmony. Whatever the future brings I hope it brings you happiness. I leave you with our Christmas goose. It’s the only bird we’ll have for Christmas. Isn’t he cute!
