Merry Christmas!

You don’t get invited to Christmas. You walk through the wonderland that is the spirit and the anticipation of good will. It surrounds you, wraps you up, and holds you tight. You absorb it. Even in the Southern Hemisphere, yes there’s a Southern Hemisphere, where it’s summer, the Yuletide winter themes and motifs surround you and the coolest you get is either going for a swim or walking around the shopping centre air-conditioning. Roasts are being replaced by sea food, but it demonstrates the important role, tradition and nostalgia play in our lives. Even the most cynical among us find a way to fit the Christmas spirit into their world view.

Many of us are struggling. Life is like that. We keep going through the changing seasons finding hope and connection where we can. Some of us are just looking for others to share our compassion and love with. We have so much of it, and we need to let it out or we’ll burst. We want to share the spirit of good will with friends, family and strangers alike. It is a time for good deeds, neighbourly compassion and acceptance.

As much as Christmas is about kids, it’s about grown-ups too. It’s a time to relive good times and create new memories and traditions. The best traditions grow organically and survive on their own. If it’s contrived or fabricated, then it won’t last. Keep what works and let the rest go. Despite the ready supply of motifs, there is no template for Christmas. No hard and fast rules. So, when the tree looks right and the decorations are hung, all the shopping and wrapping is done, celebrate the best way you know how.

You don’t get invited to Christmas, you volunteer.