Open Writing

Are you ready for Christmas? Are you having a family get-together? We have a family meal every year, but it is now later in the day. When your children have children they want to be in their own homes on Christmas morning, watching happy young faces as presents are opened.

The shops are all decorated for Christmas. There are wonderful lights in town and city centres, making them cheery places to visit.

Christmas is great. I love it! Not for any gifts that I may receive. I enjoy the pleasure in the faces of children, snow scenes with Santa and his reindeer... But most of all I enjoy Christmas because it is the one time when people unite in peace, and families try to make the season special by not arguing amongst themelves.

When I was a boy each member of our family had a task to do before we sat around the dining table. A couple of us would cut coloured paper into long strips. Another would glue the paper, forming a chain. More paper was cut into the shape of Christmas trees, and these trees were attached to pieces of string. These were attached to the ceiling and hung along the walls.

My dad would bring in a Christmas tree. Not a big tree, but a real one. This we decorated with pieces of coloured paper. When we had finished my aunt placed a fairy on top of the tree, then we all stepped back to admire our handiwork.

In the run-up to Christmas we kids had gone out doing odd jobs for people, earning a few pennies. With this cash we bought presents for one another. Nothing special. Nothing fancy. But presents which came from he heart with money we had earned. A lot of thought went into trying to buy practical gifts. Dad received from me a new wooden handle for the chopper that he used on the firewood as the old one was broken.

I gave my aunt a long-handled wooden spoon, thinking she would no longer have to burn her hands when she stirred our large pan of breakfast porridge. She recognised the thought that had gone into the gift, and tears flowed down her cheeks.