There is no suitable illustration for this year's Christmas Eve so plain and unadorned it is.
My increasingly long gaps between posts are a reflection of this rather awful year.
In the heyday of blogging when life was full of interest and possibilities it was easy to sit and rattle off a few paragraphs full of nothing very much, but happy in tone.
To be brutally honest I have found it very diffilcult to pretend that all was well and still there was something to enjoy every day.
This year has been a beast of a very different nature for nearly everyone, old or young. Surrounded by family or alone.
It has always been my contention that being alone was not the same as being lonely. This year has proved me wrong.
Someone who dropped by (on my drive while I stood in the doorway), said "I would love to give you a hug", to which my response was, "hopefullyy soon".
As I said it I realised that the last time anyone actually touched me was in mid February during the exchange of "the peace" at St Mary's.
The neighbours who take me food shopping once a week tell me they are amazed by my upbeat attitude, and that they think I am doing very well.
All I can say is that I must be a better actress than I thought.
Despite being in tier 4 and with litttle prospect of anything better for quite some time there is at least the promise of the vaccine, which at my advanced age should be coming my way fairly soon, so all is not quite so dark as it was.
Every Sunday I "attend" the 10 am service on youtube and enjoy (and envy) the virtual choir and later on this evening I will be at Midnight Mass, so to speak.
Without the choir (even if not physically present), and the Christmas services this year would be a pretty miserable one, but I have good friends and neighbours, a warm comfortable house and plenty to eat and drink.
So many people world-wide have none of these things which gives me a kick right where i most need it.
At Midnight Mass tonight I will pray for them, for all of us, and yes, for myself too,
May we, you all have a happy Christmas and a very much healthier and happier New Year.
I won't quote Tiny Tim but you know what I mean.
I think you have caught the essence of the year well here and nobody can question anything you have written or your sadness at having to do so. I have not written on my blog for a while but that is because I have started a separate blog about my final year of teaching. The world has changed so much since March 2020 and many of the 'old values' have gone out of the window; possibly never to return.
ReplyDeleteI fear you are right but hope you are not. All we can do is try to obey the rules, be kind to one another and wait to see what 2021 brings.
ReplyDeleteMay it be a good one for you and yours.
It is indeed a grim time, Ray. Like you, I get times when I feel down about it all. I have no real excuse because I get out and see people at work. This Christmas, my son is stuck in London due to Tier 4. I will miss him though we are going to zoom (in quarter of an hour's time!)
ReplyDeleteI wish you the happiest Christmas you can have. Hang in there and let's look to a better future as we always do xxxx
Likewise to you Sue. A different Christmas but it can still be a good one, and we have the future ones to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you and yours xx