Christmas Blues

It can be a very difficult time of year for people.  

Not just this year with the cost of living crisis, but because it's this time of year.

The weather is colder, wetter. There is less natural daylight.  The nights are drawing in. We see fewer people.

It can feel lonely and isolating.

Then the Christmas build-up. All the fuss and bother. The money, the calories. It can all just be a pile of crap.

Now I'll be honest: 

I love the build-up to Christmas. I love twinkly lights. Christmas music. Christmas films. Warm jumpers. Hot Chocolate. 

But.

I hate the actual day.

I would quite happily see the grandkiddies open their gifts on Christmas morning then go to bed and hibernate until Boxing Day.

But I'm incredibly lucky.

I don't have the Christmas blues. 

I know people will not only be alone, but won't speak to anyone else - not just on 25th December but many, many days.

Two personal stories:

A few years ago (about 15?), my brother was working as a delivery driver for a local florist.  A week before Christmas he rang us and asked if we could help out by doing some deliveries on 23rd/24th December. It was quite lucrative so we said yes.

There were lots of deliveries of bouquets and baskets of flowers. The vast majority of people receiving were elderly, and several were receiving flowers as their families could not see them over the Christmas period.

I will always remember one lady who answered her door with such joy and delight on her face to be given flowers....then desolation as she realised I wouldn't be coming in to chat with her. (We had the remainder of our deliveries to complete, then family to get home and cook for..)

. . . . . . .

I moved in with Man Wonderful in the summer of 2000. My ex-husband used to see my daughter every other Saturday. He wanted to take her to his mother's house for Christmas Day. I said daughter would open her gifts with me on Christmas Day morning, then I was happy for her to then go and have Christmas with her daddy and grandma. She would come back at bedtime (7pm).

At 7pm I heard a commotion at my front door, opened the door and saw my ex husband battling with my daughter (age 6) whilst he tried to pull a jumper over her head.  I asked what on earth was going on, to be told that she had a new jumper..and that he didn't want the jumper going in my house.

...............

Christmas.

A time for cheer in amongst the dark, blowy, winter evenings. 

A time to tell people they are important to us.

A time to have a nice, tummy-warming dinner.

A time to sit with dimmed lights and music playing.

If you get the Christmas blues, message me: I will message you back and not publish. If you'd like to share a bit of cheer, I'm here.

I can't fix things, but I'm good at listening/reading/sharing time.

Please don't feel alone - unless you choose to be.

FMxx

The jingle bells are jingling

The streets are white with snow

The happy crowds are mingling
But there's no one that I know
I'm sure that you'll forgive me
If I don't enthuse
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
I've done my window shopping

There's not a store I've missed
But what's the use of stopping
When there's no one on your list
You'll know the way I'm feeling

When you love and you lose
I guess I've got the Christmas blues
When somebody wants you
Somebody needs you