Presents & Presence

Christmas is on the horizon. This year, even more so than previously, I don't have the inclination or the time to think about, shop for, wrap & give presents & send cards. I am completely bogged down with the demands of making my new house into my home. When you know you are no longer young & cannot with any confidence predict where you will be, or what you will be doing tomorrow, time is precious.

I really don't know what any of the people I have to buy for want or need. I also suspect that they will all have everything anyway. I'm not prepared to spend hours trawling round shops hoping inspiration will strike, (I simply don't have the energy). The chances are that I will either get something safe & boring or something that will go in the "present drawer" or to charity. It all seems such a waste of time & resources.

It seems to me that if Christmas means anything at all it is being with or making contact with people you like & love. It's a good time to make sure that we renew & maintain our friendships & family. Making the effort to reach out & share lives & events is important. In our busy lives today time all too often goes by too quickly & we realise that we haven't written, spoken or met up with people who matter to us.

It really isn't about the size of the gift or the cost. It isn't about "grand gestures" & overwhelming generosity. Spending money is relatively easy. Spending time with someone is far more valuable & costly. We are social animals. It should be about our presence in the lives of our friends & family. Preferably not just at Christmas, but regularly throughout the year. I'm really lucky. My friends have sustained me & given their time, advice & practical help unstintingly over the last year or so.

Good friends are the real blessing & spirit of Christmas. According to recent statistics lonliness is a major disease of the 21st century. We really should do something about that - not just on the 25th December.