Thinking of Christmas

I think 2020 has been a year to prompt big changes in how we feel about the world and each other. It has been a hard year (understatement I know!) where we have experienced a sense of contradictions – we have socially isolated to care about each other, to keep each other safe – a coming together as a nation to stay apart as families and friends.

We have had to deal with the rites of passage through life at a distance this year – marriages, christenings, funerals have all been affected. We could not even take for granted the opportunity to be at the bedside of loved ones who were dying. These experiences have been incredibly difficult and painful (yet another understatement).

How do we approach our Christmas celebrations this year then? Perhaps more than ever we need to be prepared to change, to look at the meaning at the heart of our rituals. Perhaps we can look at making new traditions while keeping those that support our connections to each other. Maybe we can think of new ways to show kindness to ourselves, those around us and the world we live in.

I hope your relationships will be at the heart of your Christmas celebrations now and always. For those you hold dear that are here with you, and those that you remember with love.