It’s Christmas 🎄

Christmas to me means a lot of things, not all good. I can tick the boxes for family fall-outs, dinner disasters and lower expectations. All the hype and buildup starting earlier each year is annoying. The true meaning of Christmas has been diminishing as the woke culture gains control. It’s gradually become a non religious, money making, debt inducing celebration of excess and greed! Bah humbug!

I have also had the best Christmases ever when my whole family were together. Those were such special days and now the cherished memories are revisited, time and time again.

I had become a bit of a Christmas Scrooge. Because I really dislike shopping my cop-out gifts were always vouchers. Writing and sending Christmas cards was a real chore. I never worried about the price so took little notice of last dates for second class stamps. It was always a rush just to write and post in time for Christmas Day! I ignored my husband asinine comments reminding me how much first class stamps cost. I’m deaf in one ear so it’s easy to turn it.

But this year I feel different. I’m going to share an embarrassing secret with you. I have always been an avid news watcher and felt deprived if I couldn’t have regular updates. One of the first things I’d do on holiday would be to set the television up for the BBC news channel. I needed to get my fix of all the world’s problems, wars, famine and disasters.

I was beginning to feel bogged down and depressed. Every night I would listen to the ten o’clock news. It had become a ritual. I would turn the television off after the weather forecast, often equally depressing! I became an expert on the Ukraine war, often lying awake at night wondering when Putin would finally ‘lose it’ and push that nuclear button. I felt so sorry for the poor, innocent people just wanting to go about their day to day business. I watched floods, volcanic eruptions, one disaster after another and wondered when the pendulum would swing towards my family and friends.

Flicking through the channels one evening I watched a Christmas film. Little concentration required, just a feel good movie with a touch of romance. The Christmas decorations looked wonderful. Homes and shops around this fantasy village were covered in bright lights and snow fell, white and sparkling. It was the Christmas card variety, no mud or slush, a wonderful winter wonderland! Christmas traditions were rigidly adhered to. It looked perfect!

For an hour I leaned back and escaped my current, miserable life. Wars, famine, disasters all lay buried beneath this make believe land where life was good and decent and simple. Family and friends cared for each other. There was a nativity play reminding them of the true meaning of Christmas. Christmas carols featured throughout so found myself happily humming along to the tunes. Eventually, after watching a few of these films in the evenings, I began to look forward to my own Christmas.

However, I must stress that these films are definitely not for everyone. Fortunately we have two televisions in our house. There would be no way my husband could ever sit through one of them. Utter mindless, senseless, drivel would be his polite comment. Without action packed, blood, guts and gore, there would be no point in wasting his precious time!

I’ve not permanently moved into a fantasy world, but I have significantly restricted my viewing of the news. I still get regular updates on my phone and feel saddened to hear about innocent loss of lives and natural or man made disasters, but I have found an escape route.

Even though we won’t be home for Christmas this year I have embraced it. Trees have been decorated and our house is looking quite festive. In years gone by, if we were going to be away, I wouldn’t have bothered doing anything. I never get tired of singing Christmas carols. I’m not sure what I’ll do after Christmas when everything has been packed away and winter, with its bleak and icy chill, replaces the bright, festive lights.

But, for now, I’m revelling in the sights, sounds and smells of this glorious time of year and taking each day as it comes! I’ll cross the post Christmas bridge only when I have to 👠