CHRISTMAS GREETINGS

Hello Folks,

As I'm sure all of you are aware, this Christmas will be very different from any we've ever experienced before. Because of the wild spread of Covid 19 we are being strongly advised to stay tight within our immediate family circle i.e. those who live under the same roof.

Which means that, unfortunately, we had to forego our usual Christmas Carol sing-along this year. Nor will we be able to enjoy those time-honoured Christmas traditions we usually share with our children and grandchildren—the delight and anticipation of opening gifts from under a festively decorated Christmas tree, sitting down to a bountiful Christmas dinner with turkey and all the trimmings, tugging apart Christmas crackers with their riddles, groaner jokes and colourful paper crowns, and singing carols accompanied by a piano, guitar or keyboard.

Some of us will be able to chat to loved ones and friends via Zoom or Skype, and even though we aren't able to hug them in person, we can touch one another's hearts and minds via the magic of electronic communication devices that were unavailable a mere fifteen or twenty years ago.

We are the fortunate ones. Many, isolated in care facilities and retirement homes, can only wave to dear ones from a window; others, gravely ill in hospital with this terrible virus, must long to touch and feel the warmth of the love and concern of their families specially at Christmastime, but are alone and bereft.

For those of us who have lost loved ones in 2020 this will be a doubly sad, even desolate, time of year. If you know someone who is in need of comfort perhaps it will help just a little to pick up the phone for a chat, or go for a companiable stroll in a nearby park. Maybe share a cup of coffee, or a glass of wine at a restaurant —several places have taken great care to assure a safe environment for their customers.

There are truisms that are intended to cheer us up, the most frequently heard one being, 'there's light at the end of the tunnel' —which thankfully is appropriate now that a vaccine has been developed and which will be available in the next few weeks for those who are most vulnerable. The rest of us too will have access to these shots within a couple of months—and so by the time Spring buds appear on the trees and Nature revives once more, perhaps we will be able to face the future with renewed energy and enthusiasm.

All going well, 2021 will once again be a time of cameraderie with family and friends. For those of us who have been dreaming of travels to new and exciting places, we may have to wait a little while longer, until such time as Covid-19 has been wiped off across the globe; like other pandemics in the past that too will happen in time. We just need to be patient.

Meanwhile, drive around your neighbourhood and enjoy the Christmas lights that—as if to make up for bleak winter days and all the gloom and doom of Covid—are more spectacular than ever this year.

May your Christmas be peaceful, joyous and blessed. And may 2021 bring you health, contentment and love in abundance.

Margaret.