Happy 2024!
I can’t believe that I haven’t written since December 1st. I had planned an extravagant Christmas line up of posts but in complete honesty I just felt completely ‘consumerist’ed’ out. Everyone writes present guides which are so helpful, and I use loads, but another weekly list of things to buy wasn’t needed. Additionally Christmas is so busy that I honestly hadn’t read anything, been anywhere or done anything beyond the confines of Christmas family life.
I wish I was a good enough writer to capture the joy in the unexceptional family build up to Christmas. There are the carol concerts, the nativity, the church: cold and decorated with candles, the Baileys and mulled wine, the tubs of chocolate and tins of biscuits, the cheesy films and dark nights. The wrapping, the shopping, the children’s parties, trying to meet every friend you have for a Christmas drink and managing to meet none of them. The colds and illness. Cheese, the Christmas tree, lights on all the houses in the dark, hours forcing children to write cards to their class mates, pigs in blankets, people in blankets on the sofa with hot chocolate and marshmallows. Family and community.
And then the day itself arrives with all it’s joy, food and wrapping paper. Followed by the wonderful time that is twixmas where no one knows what day it is, more family or friends, no one gets dressed and everyone complains about having to go on walks. The whole time is magical for me and also hard work. I definitely want to take a moment to mention that there’s always a slight nagging that maybe we could have done more, it could have been more magical, should I have bought that one last present, booked more special events? We could have been less ill, there could have been less fights, family less annoying, tempers less frayed. No one has a perfect time. Yet somehow here on the 1st of January I’m already looking back on it with misty eyed fondness.
I think this is the perfect way to start the new year!
The Folio 