For the first time in 22 years, these last months, Nick and I have been ‘Home Alone’, empty nesters. It’s the start of a new chapter, I guess, but it’s a joy to have two of our sons back home for the Christmas holidays.
On the day itself, we will be joining Rotarians at their Alone at Christmas event, a truly wonderful occasion bringing people together to enjoy some festive cheer. My student years of waitressing in Eastbourne’s hotels will stand me in good stead.
I am concerned all year round for those without home and family. This time of year, that feels especially hard. Many people will be on duty over the holiday period in our NHS, Forces, emergency services and the voluntary sector. A huge THANK YOU to them and to all our key workers, keeping us safe and supported.
That includes our posties. I visited Eastbourne’s sorting office last week, and they are clearly under real pressure, but one cheery soul was singing as he sorted! I picked up my mail while there. A tiny contribution.
Christmas can be the best or worst of times and I have had a few of both. The loss of loved ones has been especially hard. In recent memory, I emerged from Covid only in time to buy presents from my local Tesco express. (I was grateful to be on my feet again). It’s all relative too.
For the Ukrainian families in our midst, their thoughts will take them to friends and loved ones back at home. This is their second Christmas apart as the war there continues.
Every beautiful carol service these last weeks has ‘taken us to Bethlehem’. It’s painful to think of the suffering in that part of the world right now with the ongoing conflict between Hamas and Israel.
There will be no pilgrims and no festivities in Bethlehem this Christmas but at The Church of the Nativity, marked as the birthplace of the promised Messiah, they will even yet welcome the birth of Jesus, the Christ-Child, and celebrate Him as, “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.
I will join them in spirit.
And may I wish you and yours a Merry Christmas and in the words of Tiny Tim from Charles Dickens’ famous, A Christmas Carol, “God Bless Us, Everyone.”
