Well Pogue,
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
So the well known poem goes and next time I muse, Christmas will have passed…and I’m already wishing it was all over! This year in particular is proving extremely wearisome with Covid being mixed with the usual assortment of media overkill, rampant commercialism, excess of so many kinds, even in a Covid world. I usual tire of Christmas well before the day but this year seem even more wearing.
Maybe I am Scrooge come again but I actually want to shut the doors, much like he did, and wait out the season now.
But I won’t because there are other people involved in the Christmas that I will be having and at it’s heart isn’t Christmas about people. From the very first person who gave us Christmas it’s always been about people. The Christian world should celebrate Jesus and His coming, though I’m thinking it’s become a degree distracted on the way to the church. And Jesus, the Divine Invader, to repeat a term I used last week, came for people, filling His world with compassion, justice and love. So it is appropriate that others are at the centre of our thoughts and efforts at this time of year.
I guess I’m singing a song sung so many times in an attempt to draw attention away from the overfilled shops, the continuous round of Christmas movies on the TV and the multiple Santa Claus who have appeared. But reminded of the words of another song played at this time of year:
So this is Christmas
And what have you done?
One act of kindness this year could make a world of difference. A little money spent on the less fortunate rather than more gifts, excess food and drink, would make a different world as we head into the New Year. An hour spent heeding the message at the commencement of Christmas and the mission that followed might lead to a very different kind of year. And boy do we need a different kind of year!
Next Monday I’ll muse and the frenetic pace of the week yet to come will be over. All that money spent will now be being counted and so many will be vowing not to spend so much next year. Diets will be being proposed because we all over ate so much…again. And most of the gifts will have already been discarded.
Pogue please agree with me, we so, so need a different kind of energy at this time. The Spirit of Christmas has long been pushed into the fringes and those who profit from the season hold the centre stage. Do you understand why I feel as I do? Maybe I am Scrooge reincarnate but if I shut the door have I really missed so much?
Yours, going for a Covid test🥺🤞🏾
Wic
Letters To Pogue 
I share your sentiment regarding Christmas – but if we behave ‘fully Scrooge’, we’ll miss out on the opportunity to be kind and make a difference to others. SO! I shall keep the door partially open 😉
As ‘The Grinch’ put it : ”It came without ribbons, it came without tags, it came without packages, boxes or bags…….What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store? What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”
Yours, celebrating Christmas every day of the year WITHOUT the hype 😉 ,
Meg
p.s. Thinking of you all.
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Wise words Vic. I hope you enjoy your time with your loved ones.
Our family (of around 200) don’t do Christmas – as in we don’t waste money we don’t have on excess food and presents we cannot afford. We do however try to make our life as full of kindness and giving all year round as we can. Almost all of the family here in the UK work part-time for money and spend two-three days volunteering. Most of us have started volunteering locally, and then travelled all over the UK and then gone overseas to volunteer during our twenties before starting a family our own. Some have remained in areas of need. We have family all over Africa and in lands further afield – they fell in love with the people there and wanted to stay to keep projects going and keep training more local people. I am looking forward to seeing my family next week. We will eat of course, but not excessively. We will be very happy to see each other. But we won’t be spending money we cannot afford, or going into debt. We will live the way we live all year round.
I cannot imagine Jesus would ever have wanted people to go excesses of waste and get stressed out or go into debt over an event that he never asked his followers to observe.
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So I’m interested. I’m assuming your family is a sort of spiritual fellowship? Probably Christian at its roots? Tell me more🤔
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Hoping your test is negative, Wic.
For me, I think the longing for Christmas is something that reignites our desire for childlike hope, joy, belief, magic, newness, warmth, beauty, belonging— even, and perhaps especially— if these were not part of our childhood experiences. In these cold COVID days, wishing you and your readers brightness in silence, blessings, and expectations exceeded.
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Thank you for your good wishes. And the test, apparently the test was damaged so I’ve had to retake today. Results tomorrow 🤞
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How come I’m late on reading this amazing piece. It is true, dear Wic, that many have closed the door for spiritual and physical charity, but many too still haven’t. I always think the world needs much more than food, shelter and clothing, much more than gifts. The world needs love. What is a giving hand without a loving heart? It’s a blessing to see people go out to spend time with the less fortunate. That time is more important. And indeed you have said it well, people have taken it back to themselves, the time, the money, the attention:
“The Spirit of Christmas has long been pushed into the fringes and those who profit from the season hold the centre stage.”
That part says it all. 👏💖🙏
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