I don’t know what it is like for you this year, Christmas, are we feeling it? How much do the realities of our lives personal and global affect how the next days play out? Put on some nice music, grab a book, make a nice dish that smells nice and don’t worry if your Christmas is the picture book perfect one. Let’s remember just this: This is a good time to remember to be empathetic and kind.
If nothing else then: Sharing is a profound action within reach of each and every one of us. The below is written a little more with my UK life in mind than my US life, but applies probably exactly equally as much wherever you read this. It’s not so different in America.
Sharing time, kindness, care, food, gifts if you have them, donate to those in need. If you have it then go drop of £20 at somebody’s (a stranger’s) door step you haven’t met but you have noticed they have kids and they appear to live precariously on the precipice of the abyss that callous politics have created. Just leave it in an envelope in their mail box or wedged under their door. It may mean they can put the heating on, it may mean somebody eats.
I have thought and then heard my thoughts echoed: we are reverting back into a semblance of Dickensian life, where the poor are treated with cold, hard callousness and where the possibility of escape from dire poverty is ever more elusive for the many of the many poor.
Let’s remember when we feel lonely or “It’s not ‘christmassy’ enough” we can make our own Christmas with those aspects of the tradition that really have an impact. Let’s take more care of each other, that includes objectionable people whom we wouldn’t want to befriend, but they, too deserve some warmth and food, a helping hand.
It’s not ‘christmassy’ enough because we might just be focusing on the wrong element of Christmas and in doing so are forgetting that all we really need is some time and thoughtfulness.
Leave the last minute plastic shopping and make something delicious to eat, it doesn’t have to be gourmet to be the food that helps make a memory.
p.s. are you alone, no friends or far away? It’s ok. You are not alone, we know you, we hold you in our hearts, there is a space for all of us. Try enjoy the solitude and the space for wonder that it can offer when we can see it from the right angle.
Go to midnight mass, doesn’t matter if you are religious, it’s a thing, it marks the time of year, they may have some Christmas decorations, you may feel lonely in the sea of people, look around you, who else is alone? Enjoy the love people have, even if it is not for you. It’s good to see love exist, we see a lot of the opposite all year, use it as a reminder of good.
Now I totally rambled. Sorry. I am a goof. I always delete these stream of consciousness posts after a short while, I never leave them up because who has the time to read this mess of thoughts. But I’ll just leave this here. This is who I am: sometimes a mess of words.
With love to you all.
Grab a book
Tune into some classical music for the heart and soul
It’s not too late, fold some paper cut-out-stars
Breathe. Exhale longer than you inhale.
Birgit Over 7 Seas 