Christmas should be a time of joy, but this may be hard to achieve, especially as we get older. You may be dealing with health worries or bereavement. Or delicate issues about whether your adult children spend Christmas with you or elsewhere.
On top of all this, the media keep telling us that a happy Christmas depends entirely on lavish food, drink and expensive presents. In this feature, I want to explore how you can create a Christmas celebration from the heart.
Let’s start with who you spend your Christmas with. If you already have a congenial group of family or friends, count your blessings. If not, treat it as a chance for an adventure. If the prospect of a Christmas alone doesn’t appeal, focus on how you could help other people.
I’ve spent a Christmas Day serving food in a refuge for homeless people. Some of my single friends help provide Christmas lunch for all comers at the Quaker meeting house. It’s well-proven that a great way to improve our own happiness is to do something for others.
THE GIFT OF APPRECIATION
Let’s face it December is not the easiest month to be merry. The days are short, the weather is usually gloomy, you may have tax and other bills looming. So being cheerful may have to be a conscious decision!
Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Dorset Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Dorset Magazine.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Fighting Fit At Fifty
As the country braces for a lockdown winter, seize the moment to become the fittest you can be – after all age is just a number
Last Night I Dreamt I Went To Mapperton Again...
Helen Stiles goes behind the scenes at the filming of Rebecca where two historic Dorset manor houses play a starring role as Manderley in this romantic thriller
Painting the Seasons
Nicholas Hely Hutchinson reveals how the changing moods of the Dorset coast and countryside inspire his paintings
THE HEAT IS ON
Weymouth 51 are blazing a trail through the chilli world with their handcrafted fermented sauces that offer layers of complex flavours from mild and fruity to super-hot tongue tinglers
Meeting MR FIX IT
Sir Oliver Letwin stepped down as the MP for West Dorset in 2019, but his passion for the county he served for 22 years is as strong as ever
Wildlife Wanderings
David Bailey shares some of his favourite Dorset images and stories taken from his new book
SOWING THE SEEDS
The average age of a British farmer is 60, which is why the Melplash Agricultural Society is investing in the next generation of Dorset farmers
HAUNTED DORSET
From spectral Roman armies and duelling ghosts to a beneficent black dog, Jerry Bird explores some of the spookier goings on around the county
Decorative art
Not simply functional, treat your walls like an extension of your personality
Age-old advice
Just become a grandparent for the first time? Perhaps you need a little guidance, so here are some top tips about how to embrace your new family role