IT’s nearly here.

The big day!

The day every child in the land is excitedly waiting for. The day that comes with all the expectations, all the hopes and all the stress.

The day that many people are longing for. The day that many other people will be dreading.

Christmas Day.

For most of us there will be presents, a turkey dinner, booze and plenty of it. (If we’re lucky.) However there may also be tears, heartbreak, quarrels and fall outs.

Christmas is meant to be a happy and magical time, but it isn’t always. Not for all of us.

So with that in mind, here are some things to bear in mind this Christmas, whatever your personal situation.

IT’S NOT ABOUT THE GIFTS, IT’S ABOUT THE GIVING

Don’t get me wrong, I love a lovely gift just as much as the next gal, but when it comes to presents, the older I get, the less I need or want.

There’s so much pressure on us all these days to spend, spend, spend! To buy more gifts for our children, our loved ones and our friends. As well as gifts for everyone else too.

Sometimes it all gets a bit bonkers doesn’t it?!

But somewhere we need to draw a line. Sometimes we need to pull back, especially if we can’t afford it.

Christmas is about giving yes, but that doesn’t have to be expressed with an actual present. There are plenty of other ways we can give at Christmas without bankrupting ourselves.

We can listen, we can help someone, we can cook a meal, we can offer someone a glass of wine, we can give our advice or just share our time.

Giving doesn’t always have to be so costly. It just has to come from the heart.

IT’S NOT ABOUT PERFECTION, IT’S ABOUT BEING THANKFUL

We all want our Christmas to be perfect, but as with life, there is no such thing.

Trust me, someone will burn the roast potatoes, someone will forget to buy a distant relative a present, someone will knock over their glass of bucks fizz, this year.

It happens!

Yes, we all want it to be magical, especially for our kids, but at what cost?

Because I tell you, if the thought of trying to create the ‘perfect’ Christmas is stressing you out or making you exhausted, you need to stop, breathe and reboot.

All the fancy stuff, all the trimmings, the cooking and the giving, are very lovely but they don’t really matter.

But what does matter is being thankful. What does matter is being present. What does matter is throwing love and kindness around over the next few days, like Christmas confetti.

More thanks, more kindness and less pressure. That’s the key to a fantastic Christmas.

IT’S NOT ABOUT YOU, IT’S ABOUT OTHERS

We all want to enjoy Christmas, let our hair down and stuff our faces with delicious food. And I for one, cannot bloomin’ wait.

But Christmas isn’t about us, it’s about others.

Our others.

It’s about seeing the joy on our kids’ faces when they open up their presents from Santa. It’s about remembering the people whom we have loved and lost. It’s about thinking about those whom will be struggling this Christmas (for whatever reason) and doing our bit to show them we care.

Less ‘me, me, me’ and more ‘you, you, you’.

That’s what it’s all about.

IT’S NOT FOR FOREVER, IT’S JUST A DAY

There will be people reading this, who are dreading Christmas Day. And there are people whom I love dearly, that I know are going to really struggle with it, this year.

And so for all those people, this is for them.

A little reminder, that it won’t last forever. A little reminder that it is, just a day. A special, poignant and emotional day, yes. But just a day, all the same.

Twenty four hours to get through and survive. That you can. And you will.

How?

By doing whatever it is you need to do, to get through.

So if you want to be with company, make sure you’re with others. If you want to be by yourself, then give yourself permission to hide away.

Whether you want to embrace the world on Christmas Day or would rather curl up a ball and pretend it’s not happening, just do whatever you need to do to survive and know that soon it will all be over.

IT’S NOT ABOUT ANYTHING ELSE, BUT LOVE

Really, it’s not.

Sure it’s about Christianity and celebrating the birth of baby Jesus. Sure it’s about Father Christmas and everything that comes with that. Sure it’s about feasting and celebration and tradition.

But at the end of the day, what all of these things boil down to is, love.

Love for our lives.

Love for our loved ones (past and present).

Love for our children.

Love for something higher.

For spreading love, sharing love, feeling love and remembering love.  In all of its splendid forms.

It can be wonderful, it can be exhausting, it can be heartbreaking, it can be joyous.

But at the end of the day, presents and turkey and crackers aside, really Christmas is just the most brilliant opportunity to show an appreciation for life and love.

And hey, if someone gives you a gift or pops a mince pie in your hand, well …that’s just the pretty, fancy angel on an already lovely Christmas tree.

Wishing you all a happy and peaceful Christmas time (whatever that looks like for you). xxx

With love,

Kate