Janet Bird writes:
As we approach Christmas and start to think about writing
our Christmas cards I am beginning to wonder what might be in the “catch-up”
letters that some of our friends usually include with their cards. I am
wondering whether to write one of my own this year.It might go something like
this:
“This year we haven’t really been anywhere. We didn’t
have a holiday in France with the family; we didn’t see the Passion Drama in
Oberammergau: we didn’t host a Bishop from the Democratic Republic of the
Congo; we didn’t spend hours in front of the TV watching the Olympics: we didn’t
visit various National Trust or English Heritage properties with our
grandchildren during their school holidays nor did we organise our usual
Afternoon tea party to raise funds for our church.
At church we didn’t have our regular coffee mornings or
Wednesday Soundbites concerts or any other large fund raising events or
concerts. For the first time in over 30 years we won’t be holding a party to
bring people in Hertford together on Christmas Day.
We missed physical contact with the family but we learned
how to Skype and enjoyed exchanging letters and of course on the relatively few
occasions we were able to meet in person it meant so much more than normal just
to be together and to actually see for ourselves how much the girls have grown.
It was just the same at church. We learned to meet and worship via Zoom or You
Tube and we got to know our friends as we spent time really talking and
listening to each other on regular phone calls and via WhatsApp. When we were
able to meet together it meant so much – even if it felt strange wearing masks
and sanitizing.
However we did spend far more time just enjoying time
spent in our garden, watching the wildlife and being aware of the changing
colours and the changing seasons. Thanks to gifts from friends we grew tomatoes,
potatoes and carrots which we have never grown before and we enjoyed
experimenting with different ingredients when we were unable to shop for what
we might normally use. We also found time to relax and read books during the
day rather than just in bed at night.
What I think this year has taught us as a family is to
always make the most of what we have and what we are able to do. We are so sad
because there is still much we can’t do but rather than concentrating on what
we can’t change we need to give thanks for so much that is still so good. Food
to eat, warmth and comfort, fellowship and the chance to reach out to others in
whatever way we can whether in person, by phone or email. We give thanks for
our love for our families and friends and knowing that they love us but above
all for the love of God reaching into all the corners of our lives. Guiding and
supporting us and helping us to find our way forward when we feel helpless and
hopeless.”
I would of course finish by saying “we are thinking of
you and hoping that you are keeping safe and well and hoping that we can meet
up next year” which of course we often say but let’s hope that next year we
really will be able to make plans which we can keep and that we will get back
together with all those we love.
No comments:
Post a Comment