It’s funny how Christmas changes as you grow up…. when I was a kid I would have been in bed by now, trying desperately to go to sleep, as I knew Santa wouldn’t visit until I was fast asleep. As I am the youngest of four, there wasn’t anyone else to keep the magic going once I stopped believing, so for a few years’ Christmas lost its sparkle, instead, it became an excuse to add dates to my social calendar and then take time out to relax at home with my family.
Things changed in our family when my sister had her first child almost 21 years ago. Since then I’ve had the pleasure of watching my nieces and nephews grow up, through the early days when wrapping paper at Christmas was far more exciting than their actual presents, to experiencing the fun, but often chaotic Christmas with all four generations of our family together.
Christmas can often be a highly pressurised time of the year, with many people rushing around the country trying to keep all members of the family happy. In all the chaos and commerciality of Christmas, it’s worth taking some time to think about what Christmas means to you. For me, it’s quite simple, it’s about spending quality time with those that I love, whether that’s friends or family. It’s about being thankful for what you have and looking forward to the next year ahead. In the sadder times of the past year I wasn’t able to do this with clarity, but with the love and support of my friends and family, the next year is looking rosier and I have them all to thank for that.
As each of my nieces and nephews grow up, I try to hang onto the magic of Christmas and look forward to the day that I get to hand down some of our traditions and create my very own slice of family Christmas.
Happy Christmas to everyone that has read my blog this year, I really hope that it’s helped you in some way. Here’s to 2017 being a happy one, with a bit of luck thrown in for good measure!
Christmas is worth having when you are part of it. With love B x
xxx