Christmas

Should I dare admit that mostly I long for it all to be over again so we can all get back to normal.

Not that I don’t endear the Nativity stories of The Gospels, especially that of St Luke,but where does it get me when on my search of a happy Christmas I might squeeze a couple of minutes into the programme to think of that stall in Bethleham- and there have been years when I’d forgotten it altogether.

This year was going to be different.

Someone else was going to do the cooking ,and invite the whole family. We had done away with present giving (why would it have been so easy this year to find’ just the thing’.) I didn’t make a Christmas cake, and although I love mince pies I didn’t make them either or I would have eaten most of them myself.

So all I really had to do was to sit back and wait for Christmas Eve,when we celebrate here in Switzerland.

The house was clean, our tree was decorated and it didn’t make any difference thatI had to be on duty over the Holidays, afterwards I could sit down to a lovely meal that I hadn’t bought or prepared myself.

This year I really was going to enjoy Christmas.

Then the phone rang and I was informed that most of the crew at work were ill and on the 24th I would have to work the morning and late shift . So much for celebrating with the family.

Of course I was mad, and the fact that a little later I gave more than I intended to the Salvation Army lady shivering in the cold didn’t make me feel any better at the time either.

But I do feel better now, for I will be celebrating alone.

When I come home tomorrow, I can light the candles on the tree, think of that stall in the land of David, and of my loved ones near and far, and for probably the first time since my childhood feel the Chrismas Spirit.

God Bless you all.