Let’s do this together

The spirit of Christmas is not in fact toffeeflavoured vodka (although obviously it’s a close second in my house) but a mixture of those old-fashioned words – resilience, forbearance and hope.

Our readers have shown they have these qualities in spades this year, but it’s this poignant yet uplifting letter from Madeline Palm of Finsbury Park, North London, that truly sums up the spirit of Christmasses Past, Present and Future.

She writes, “I live opposite a school on a (normally) busy pedestrian commuter route, and in the past I would decorate my bay window with the Christmas tree in the middle and the windows ‘leaded and snowed’ with Santa flying over in his sleigh being towed by his faithful reindeer.

“I enjoyed seeing the smiling faces of the workers, parents and children as they looked over my way. But I stopped doing it after my son left home and my health made it more difficult for me to bend and climb up and down the steps.

“Like many others, I will be alone this Christmas, so this year I decided to try and cheer people up (including myself) and bought a smaller tree and decorated the windows again, although not on such a large scale as before.

“But it cheers me up, the twinkling candle lights and a pile of stocking filler pressies – which will probably become Easter presents next year!

“On the fifth, down it all comes again and the room will revert back to a plain old boring living room. I might just keep the lights on around the windows though to add a bit of brightness to everybody’s lives.”

Thank you for getting in touch, Madeline – although you made me cry and confirmed

The Dark Lord’s suspicions that I’ve finally lost the plot.

I know it’s not the same as having family and friends around, but you, and all our readers, are not alone. We’re always here, and this is your community page.

Email me at siobhan.mcnally@mirror.co.uk or write to Community Corner, PO Box 791, Winchester SO23 3RP.

ALL LIT UP

In the interests of fairness, my pug Boris has also ‘volunteered’ to wear his Christmas tree antlers, although he still gets flashbacks to the time I dressed him up as a Christmas pudding. He also has a phobia of bells and it’s impossible to watch any Christmas movies with him because Santa’s sleigh sets him off…

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