GospelfromThe Saints

Gospelfrom TheSaints

By Julia Collins,who livesinSaint Nicholas

Finding ourselves nearing theend ofanother year,are we arealldreamingof notso much aWhiteChristmas, but just aChristmas?!At thetime ofwriting, thesignsaregood, butweallknowby nowhow quickly things canchange. The much-loved festiveseasonis justaround thecorner,solet’s just hopeit’s asmoothcurve, lacking adifficult camber,and requiringminimal braking or gear changes! With curvesandwheels broughttomind, perhaps an approachbasedupon concentric circlescould be effective, conjuring aviewthatmightoffer alittleextraspace forappreciation andthought.Atthe centrewould be love andkindness –don’tthey lieattheheartof everything? Let’s encircle this‘bulls eye’ withfamilyand friends,those with whom we extendand exchangefeelingsof closeness andconnection.Probably, if we arerealistic,severalconcentric circlesexistas we move from ournearestanddearestthrough thelayersoffriendship towards acquaintances.Again,though, celebration,funandgoodwill permeatetodifferent levelsin different ways. Withtheseingredients establishedas ourcore, we could then expand outwards to the festive embellishments.So,after getting together withfriends andfamily, whatcomesnext;a Christmas tree,decorations,fairy lights,cards, presents,carols, festivefoodanddrink? If we areunluckyand socialisingbecomes difficultfor a while, we areall nowfairly adept at virtual meet upsand outside gatherings.Not always ideal, but definitelybetter than nothing.Last year ourwingswereclipped at the last moment andmanyofushad made considerablearrangements, only forthemtobedismantled piece by piecewith accelerating velocity.Itdoesn’tfeelasthougha repeatisonthehorizon,but let’s keep ourfeet (intheirChristmassy slippers)firmlyonthe ground and work from theinside out. To borrow from aradio comedy Iheardthe otherday: “Thegreatestproblem we faceis running outofpanicbeforethe mainpanicseason!” Patchy shop shelvesand ‘dry’petrol stations effectively stoked ourfeelings of anxiety– alreadysomewhat rawafter thetrialsand worries thelast18months have brought. Sure, we allhave to weatherthese situations, dealwiththe impactas best we can, butbyremembering whatistrulyvaluable it’s atiny biteasierto maintain asenseof proportion…and gratitude. Looking forwardtothe New Year, we have ourwealthof experience to draw upon,and withoptimism forthe verybestof outcomes, let’shug ourreinforced senseof resilienceandversatility andkeepthetreasureofwhat really mattersclosest to ourhearts.