It comes around quicker each year! And that’s not such a bad thing because it means we have been busy and the time just slipped by and we might even have achieved something with all that busyness! Certainly, the shopping spree at this time of the year keeps many people on the run.

For mature-aged people like me there is no longer a frantic need to shop for cards and stamps and presents and wrapping paper or indeed making lists of people and presents. Finally, I am at the stage of life where ‘gifting’ is not an issue, neither the intricacies of selecting and matching gifts nor the dilemma of disposing of unwanted gifts after the event!

My family is sensible and mostly adopt the ‘Kris Kringle’ method. They set a small monetary limit on gift value and, after a ballot, each person buys only one present for another family member. Sometimes there’s discussion between the two parties, but usually some innovative useful gifts emerge from the wrappings on Christmas morning. The money and heartache saved can then, voluntarily, be used as donations to worthy causes, whether local or for international relief.

It is also the time of year when we can all take stock of where we are, and how we are, and what we can do for ourselves and for others in the coming year/s. Certainly, I need to do just that, taking into account the level of my health and wealth, my ability (or need) to keep driving, and how best to manage my life, my domestic needs and my location. That’s all a bit confronting but face it I must while I am still (somewhat) in control!

So, at this time of year, others like me are also considering their lifestyle, their location, changing health, and future needs. It can be a bit distressing to acknowledge our vulnerabilities, but I’ve made a small start in transitioning to a different life profile; one that recognises no more driving, no more easy instant decisions to go there, or visit there, or look at something necessitating a car journey. Bus passes, taxis, trains, trams, lifts with friends all loom large in next year’s experiences, even if my health still permits!

So, you see, it’s not just a time of year for choosing gifts! For me, and for many like me, it’s also a time to stop and think about the results of my chosen, continuing, lifestyle; the impact that more of the same will have on my friends and family, on their love and concern and my fervent hope not to become a burden.

So, that was my Christmas thinking as I started writing this message but now, well, it all seems like doom and gloom – and that is not what I wanted to write about! It was, and still is, to wish my readers a happy time of Christian good tidings and a Happy (and well-managed) New Year!