This was published 4 years ago
Opinion
Christmas will be different this year, but there are some silver linings
Jessica Rowe
WriterTwirling and whirling in my cream, ankle-length frock to see it swoosh around my ankles. Only stopping my swirling for long enough for my mum to put the silver tinsel wreath on top of my little head. Never had I worn something so sparkly in my 10 years. Clutching a square of white paper with a large “S” written on it, I was bursting with butterflies to be part of our school Christmas play.
My classmates and I were dressed as the individual letters that made up the word “Christmas”. My letter was “S”, for the star that would light up the night sky, blazing bright above the stable in Bethlehem. Standing up on a chair, narrowly avoiding tripping on my long dress, I proudly held my card aloft, as the story of the star was read out.
Why not use this vacuum to create something that brings you joy?Credit: iStock
Some 40 years later, I still have no idea what myrrh is, nor have I ever seen frankincense, which, as the story goes, the three wise men had packed on their camels as they made their journey to Jerusalem. Now, I’d like to think it was three wise women!
But what I can still clearly conjure up is my excitement about the tinsel and the magic of Christmas. My emotions about December 25, 2020 aren’t as joyous as that little star-dressed girl all those years ago. This year has been awful and one that most of us want to forget. I’ve always approached life determined to look on the sunny side, which has been hard to do during the wobbly moments of these past 12 months.
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.
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.