Well today is the 12th night of Christmas....a day when technically the decorations come down and some form of normality resumes..though if you switch on the TV, radio or walk into a shop Christmas has long since gone!
It saddens me really, the poor wise men have still yet to appear in the Nativity and Christmas has been forgotten... ( though not in our house we still have a few gifts to open and the lights are shining brightly til this evening!)
As I clear missions of emails and Facebook notifications it breaks my heart to see so many folk depressed about going back to work after an extended break..it's usual to struggle with "normality" whatever that this, but should it make us feel so down?
This Christmas has been very strange for us...the build up as with everyone started a while ago with so many carol services, carol singing and school,performances to attend but those precious moments were awesome and topped off with 5 amazing but very diverse services covering all ages from Christmas Eve into Christmas Day. I really felt the sense of the true meaning of Christmas and encountered special moments of a young 9 year old singing Once in royal on her own, our newly formed choir singing like a candle flame in the semi darkness ( my son 1 of them) and a stranger wandering into midnight mass having never entered a church before but had been drawn by the tower light...truly amazing!
Unfortunately things went down hill from there with the majority of our family coming down with severe chest infections..although this felt disappointing at the time, it did put into perspective what Christmas is all about, I've jot been able to drink alcohol or eat much food, pressies were small but beautifully defined, yet the true meaning stood out even more.
So this new year after a few days relaxing up north I've had to time to be thankful...thankful that I've had time with loved ones, I've a job to come back to yesterday and a safe place to sleep ( when the coughing stops!!!)
I pray this year is a real time of blessings..even in places you don't expect.
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