It's been a tricky Christmas to navigate this year hasn't it? One moment its game on as normal, then everything changed. Then we had a splash of normality and then that changed too. That's quite hard to get your head around isn't it? I know I have struggled. So on top of then going into tier 4, it's so easy to just think 'Screw it, what's the point then?'.
I think one of the wise men, a Mr Grinch once said "Maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store". He's right though, which is madness seeing as I work in a shop selling things for people at Christmas, but hold on and I'll explain further.
Every morning I drive the 14 minute drive to work. There's normally angry beeps, people getting impatient with cyclists, traffic everywhere. People looking down at their phones or not using their manners when crossing roads. It's a pretty typical outlook of what has been the last few months to be honest. I normally listen to the same playlist on repeat, sing along but not too loudly cos you know...people.
Well this morning, I cranked up my music on my drive because they were Christmas tunes. I was singing along to all the greats and as I was driving I noticed kids out on their bike rides with family, all in Santa hats. I noticed people smiling as they heard my ridiculously loud Christmas songs approach them and then laugh when they saw me singing along. Older couples were out walking their dogs and chatting to someone they'd bumped into...socially distanced of course (thank you Greg James).
As I turned into Broadway, Slade thumping through my speakers, there were elves out on a run, doggos in Christmas jumpers. The busker on the middle crossing keeping everyone entertained... (sorry Gene for drowning you out but you know...Slade).
It made me think for a moment that with everything that has happened this year, with all of the disappointments and upsets. Alongside all the sacrifices and the losses this year there was one thing that everyone was holding dear in their hearts.
Hope.
It was the hope that next year we'd have normality, that this is but a wrinkle in the pages of our stories.
As I found my parking space (curbed the car 🤦🏻♀️) I turned the music off, locked up and walked into work. The streets were quiet, as they should be, it was a bit chilly and the sun was bouncing off the roof of the church. St Clements seemed to be glowing. St Clement is said to be the patron saint of mariners. So it felt rather poetic that the church in his name would be emitting such warm feeling in an old fishing town, in a year that we've all tried to keep our head above in such a stormy sea.
It was glowing in a way that said, 'Merry Christmas to all. Keep going'.
So we want you to enjoy your day in any way that you can and we look forward to seeing you on the other side, smiling, beaming and hopeful that 2021 brings with it new love, new courage and new adventures.
With Love
Stacie x