What my stubborn soul has clung to is my dogged pursuit of silver linings. Here are a couple of silver-tinsel linings to put in your Chrissie stocking. It’s time, once and for all, to let go of the saccharine nonsense of Christmas being the most wonderful time of the year. It never has been: not for fractured families, the lonely, lovesick, broke and broken. Life isn’t a Hallmark card. And these celebrations put untold pressure on people to have a sparkly, special day when every other day is not joyful.
This year, why not take the pressure off and enjoy the tinsel lining of not having a large gathering? You don’t have to spend the day surrounded by people who, maybe, you haven’t wanted to see all year. Family frequently equals dysfunction. So, rather than exhausting yourself humouring people you perhaps don’t like very much, revel in the calm and bright of your immediate household.
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Let’s not forget the financial pressure of Christmas. And this year has been a shocker on the job front, so you’re more cash-strapped than usual. Decide on a gift-free zone. Instead of swapping gift vouchers, how about making your own vouchers? You could have a voucher for babysitting, cooking a meal (I won’t be doing that), dog walking, a dance performance, a massage, a hug. You get the gist …
Now that we’ve got the expectations about large gatherings and expensive gift-giving out of the way, how about considering the sort of Christmas you would like to create this year? One that is free of all the traditions and norms. Stay in your PJs all day, and feast on chocolate, champagne and mangoes. Ditch the turkey and cranberry sauce – something I’ve never liked at all!
Perhaps go to the beach, maintaining the required distance from others, and soak up the sunshine and the feeling of salt drying on your skin. Watch a movie marathon of all your favourite films. Perform a concert for one, two, three or four – whatever the required limit of humans in your household is at the time. Yes, it’s going to be different, so why not use this vacuum to create something that brings you joy?
My Christmas wish is that you take a moment to reflect on how you’ve survived this year. Celebrate your courage and resilience. I’m going to look up into the night sky and wish upon the star that inspired wonder and awe in me all those years ago. I’ll make a big, fat, sparkly wish that will take me and those I love safely into next year and beyond.
This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale November 29. To read more from Sunday Life, visit The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
