I met someone recently who told me they were having a themed Christmas this year.
“What theme,” I asked, expecting, some kind of fancy dress affair.
“Climate Change, the whole family are doing it…”
The natural next questions were, of course, “how does that work and what about the children?” I was imagining a revolt.
They then showed me this! With further explanations of renovated bicycles, hand knitted toys, bargains picked up in charity shops, I.O.U’s promising help with irksome jobs, and so their list went on…
Amongst other things it brought PENRITH FREEGLE and the REPAIR CAFE to mind.
Because in terms of re-using and mending they’re well ahead of the curve – but also in terms of kindness, the volunteers, the dedicated tea makers, the skill sharers, who turn up all year round to do their bit, for people and planet are nothing short of heroic. Thank-you all…
While I’m here, I’d also like to dedicate a round of applause to The Three Crowns Tea Shop, The Cosy Cup and The Arturo Lounge, all of Penrith, for their ‘Pay it Forward’ initiatives. Kindness like smiling is infectious, and we are all of us the better for it…
And so to last words…
I asked a few people what they’re best memories of Childhood Christmas’s were. This is what they said:
Hilary C: “I remember us all crowding into our parent’s bedroom, dad would have brought the record player upstairs and we’d play music and dance about, it was exciting, my parents would be laughing and happy. It was just brilliant.”
Steve P: “Everybody wore silly hats and didn’t mind.”
Pam P: “My friend and I both had dolls for Christmas, hers was big and made out of some kind of plastic stuff, it felt cold. Mine was made out of material and had long yellow plaits made out of wool, I think my Grandma made it. My friend wanted to swap…”
Sheila H: “I just remember us all being together, that always felt nice.”
Anonymous: It’s sometimes feels difficult reconciling Christmas with all the want in the world. And I know we cannot solve all of the problems, all of the time, but we can make the differences less offensive by living, no less joyfully, and more modestly. We can in fact, celebrate kindness all year round. Because at the end of the day it is kindness that we remember.
Merry (modest) Christmas to you all.
