Through all the bustle spare a thought for those less well off

I was standing in the queue at a checkout in Lidl the other day buying brown bread when I overheard a little boy in front of me ask his mother why he didn’ t have a dad. He was only about six. His poor mother looked gutted but she knelt down in front of him and replied calmly that some kids had one parent, others had two. She said he had only one, but she had enough love inside her for two people and then she hugged him.

He pulled back a little and said would it be ok if he asked Santa for a dad for Christmas. Her eyes filled with tears and she held him tightly apologising to me over his shoulder for the delay. “It’s just so hard sometimes,” she whispered.

I couldn’t answer her because I knew I’d start bawling up in her face but I squeezed her hand and rubbed the little fella’s head and wished that I could do something to make their Christmas better.

See, that’s the thing. Christmas isn’ t always the most wonderful time of the year, especially for people on their own, or for people with money worries, health issues, or those just having a s*** time.

It can be miserable, it can be lonely and desperate. If you’ve lost someone you love, Christmas is never the same again. You keep going, you move on but Christmas feels tainted by a sadness that was never there before.

There are so many people out there dreading Christmas, for a variety of reasons. It’s the expectations that cause the pressure: Christmas is supposed to be about excess – eating too much, drinking too much, spending too much.

But that’s not what it’s about if you’re homeless or have no money or no family to spend it with. For those people it’s about trying to get through it. It’s about just surviving.

Until my epiphany in Lidl, my biggest concerns were – how was I going to get my hands on Little Mix tickets for The Youngest and was the turkey I ordered going to be big enough. First World problems, I know. It’s so easy to get caught up in the superficial trappings of the festive season and not think beyond that.

But maybe as well as enjoying the luxury and privilege we have been afforded this Christmas we could also spare a thought for those less fortunate than ourselves. Even better we could also spare a few moments of our time to give a little back.

Call in on a neighbour who’s living alone, invite someone you know is having a hard time over for a drink and a bite to eat. Donate something to the Vincent de Paul, give up a couple of hours on Christmas Day to serve dinners at your local homeless charity. The smallest of gestures can mean so much.

But for the grace of God ...

IT’S SO EASY TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THE SUPERFICIAL TRAPPINGS OF THE FESTIVE SEASON AND NOT THINK BEYOND THAT.