Well and truly in the holiday spirit

I must admit I’m really looking forward to my holiday this year. Christmas has a really different feel from any other holiday and I have no guilt about putting my feet up and doing as little as possible.

The weather makes it OK to stay in if you feel like it and I’ve asked Santa for a pile of books which make the house even more enticing. That’s not to say I’m going to be completely housebound – it’s a time for visiting friends and relatives as well and catching up with people without the hustle and bustle of daily life intruding.

Christmas is really everything a holiday should be. It has excitement, fun, relaxation, good food, beautiful church services to remind you of the real reason for the holiday, and it’s also a time to think about others.

Even as I write this, I’m aware that Christmas isn’t a time of joy for everyone, especially those who’ve lost someone or who are alone and without the money to have the Christmas they would like.

A challenge on Facebook by Argyll and Bute Health and Social Care Partnership is even more meaningful at this time of year.

It is challenging all of us to commit a random act of kindness and I’m taking the challenge and upping it. Don’t make it just one act of kindness: make it two or three. It doesn’t have to cost you anything except some time and thoughtfulness and it could make a huge difference to someone’s life.

It’s what Christmas is really about, all the other stuff is just a lovely extra which I will enjoy to the full and if I can add a few random acts of kindness to the holiday it will be the icing on the cake. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone.

Last week’s photograph was of course Santa or St Nicholas, if you want to be formal, and for the last photo of the year, I thought I would make it quite difficult.