VILLAGE LIFE
Gospel from The Saints By Julia Collins, who lives in Saint Nicholas
F
inding ourselves nearing the end of another year, are we are all dreaming of not so much a White Christmas, but just a Christmas?! At the time of writing, the signs are good, but we all know by now how quickly things can change. The much-loved festive season is just around the corner, so let’s just hope it’s a smooth curve, lacking a difficult camber, and requiring minimal braking or gear changes! With curves and wheels brought to mind, perhaps an approach based upon concentric circles could be effective, conjuring a view that might offer a little extra space for appreciation and thought. At the centre would be love and kindness – don’t they lie at the heart of everything? Let’s encircle this ‘bulls eye’ with family and friends, those with whom we extend and exchange feelings of closeness and connection. Probably, if we are realistic, several concentric circles exist as we move from our nearest and dearest through the layers of friendship towards acquaintances. Again, though, celebration, fun and goodwill permeate to different levels in different ways. With these ingredients established as our core, we could then expand outwards to the festive embellishments. So, after getting together with friends and family, what comes next; a Christmas tree, decorations, fairy lights, cards, presents, carols, festive food and drink?
If we are unlucky and socialising becomes difficult for a while, we are all now fairly adept at virtual meet ups and outside gatherings. Not always ideal, but definitely better than nothing. Last year our wings were clipped at the last moment and many of us had made considerable arrangements, only for them to be dismantled piece by piece with accelerating velocity. It doesn’t feel as though a repeat is on the horizon, but let’s keep our feet (in their Christmassy slippers) firmly on the ground and work from the inside out. To borrow from a radio comedy I heard the other day: “The greatest problem we face is running out of panic before the
main panic season!” Patchy shop shelves and ‘dry’ petrol stations effectively stoked our feelings of anxiety – already somewhat raw after the trials and worries the last 18 months have brought. Sure, we all have to weather these situations, deal with the impact as best we can, but by remembering what is truly valuable it’s a tiny bit easier to maintain a sense of proportion…and gratitude. Looking forward to the New Year, we have our wealth of experience to draw upon, and with optimism for the very best of outcomes, let’s hug our reinforced sense of resilience and versatility and keep the treasure of what really matters closest to our hearts. 79
