Seeing the festivities through the fog

ARE you feeling festive yet?

I booked panto tickets a week or so ago and I felt a tingle of festive cheer titivating my toes. This is it, I thought.

I shall plan a season of merry activities that will leave my children’s faces a glow like a scene from a greetings card; my house shall be adorned with stylish, yet personal and creative decorations and I shall forever be wearing fitted, swirly dresses a la the ‘new look’ as I glide around my living room, proffering forth homemade mince pies, warm from the oven, to guests who’s tinkly laughter and jolly chatter will cuddle the air.

Then a Christmas kibosh was well and truly put on my festive planning.

All of my hoped for treats from afternoon tea with elves, afternoon tea with Santa (a theme emerging) to Christmas trains, were booked up on the dates we were free.

Added to that, the extreme busyness generated by the stream of school Christmas activities which has commenced, and overtakes time and the mind to beyond distraction at this time of year, costume requests, tickets to buy, lyrics to learn and the arrival of my foe, just this evening – jolly jars to fill.

As for decorations, my hall, stairs and landing have been mid-decoration since about July.

Just regular painting you understand, I wasn’t decking any halls with boughs of holly, as the sun beat down, no, just a regular bit of gloss and emulsion.

The first coat has been on for a while but there is all manner of edging in and glossing and second coatings to be applied and new curtains to hang, before I have the rooms of my imaginings.

But where has the time gone....?

I don’t currently own anything resembling a Dior ‘new look’ frock, although quite sure I have something sparkly from New Look and I must confess I haven’t made a mince pie for a while.

I like making pastry, but I associate the whole rubbing, mixing, rolling, cutting, baking thing with time and having it in abundance and I don’t right now.

However, what I do need to be mindful of is what I do have.

I do have a family and friends and in that I am so incredibly fortunate.

Desperate not to sound trite, but at this time of year, there are so many people for whom just staying warm and fed is their only plan or who go days if not weeks without having meaningful contact with people.

For some, whether due to old age, isolation, poverty, homelessness, health conditions and myriad other reasons, this time of year can be the most gruelling.

It is in remembering this that hopefully we can all agree that yes, it is a hectic time of year, the weather can be punishing, the schedule overwhelming, the shops heaving and the pressure to deliver the ‘perfect Christmas’ weighty – however, peering through the fog, I know that I have so much to be grateful for.