Happy Christmas

It is difficult to write this without falling into clichés or becoming maudlin, but I shall I attempt to. Without more ado I will wish my entire readership the happiest and most enjoyable of Christmas Days. May there be happiness and joy, and not too many arguments over the charades or TV schedules. We will be thinking of all our friends and family celebrating in their various time zones and in their own unique ways.

It is all too easy to become too nostalgic today, to look back at Christmas’s past through rose coloured spectacles. I remember the Christmas’s when our children were younger, the faces round the door at 6am with a whispered “is it too early yet”. When the house was full with parents and there was a rigid plan to attend church on Christmas morning. I also remember how dog tired we often felt when excited children would not fall asleep so “Santa” could not pay his visit. Remembering when attempting to flambé the Christmas pudding I set the whole worktop alight!!!!

Now I love that I can once more see children’s pleasure through my beautiful grandchildren, I feel sad that my parents will no longer be with us, I love that we will share our dinner with good friends, most of all that Marion and myself have been able to evolve our Christmas around our relationship.

I also feel that Christmas challenges us, the cliché that we are enjoying the earths bounty while others are suffering is never more true. We were driving along a picture perfect Scarborough seafront on Christmas Eve, when I glanced across to the pavement and saw what was obviously a homeless person sat with a can of booze in a shelter. For that man there was no shelter at the inn. As the vast majority of us do I passed on the other side. This will be hugely difficult but now that I have more time I have resolved to attempt to move more across the road in the New Year. I have the example of one of my friends who without fuss volunteers in a soup kitchen.

So may your turkey be well stuffed, your pudding be flaming, your crackers be bountiful and your hangover small. Happy Christmas one and all.