I mean, this apparently happened 2000 years ago and none of us were around then and religion isn't that much of a big thing as it was years ago. I doubt that there's as many people that go to church now as there was just 50 or even 60 years ago. We've all let our religious side slip more and more with each generation and it's got to the point where the birth at Jesus isn't even mentioned at all. All Christmas seems to be about nowadays is what the John Lewis Christmas advert is going to be and who's going to get this years Christmas number one.
I'll admit it, I'm not really that religious. I used to go to church every Christmas Eve but that was about as much as it got apart from the few times we had to go to church when I was in primary. But this was really rare and they did teach us a lot in assembly's about Jesus but I guess I just stopped listening after they would go through the exact same passage from the bible each and every year. I guess that if maybe my parents, or even if my family, had been more religious then maybe I'd focus more on the birth of Jesus. I can't exactly help it that I'm not that religious. I was christened when I was six months old but that's about as much as it gets.
To me, however, the true meaning of Christmas is friends and family. This is because they are the people who have been there for us since day one and will continue to be there for as long as we need them. Our family in particular because they are literally the people who have bought us up and who have taught us the ways of the world and will help us prepare for what is to come later on in life. Our friends are also there for us a lot because they are the people who have chosen to be a part of our lives and weren't just stuck with us forever. Every one of our friends and family have been there for us through both the good and bad times. There have also been the times when we've been feeling particularly down and moody and don't want to talk to anyone; but they (our friends mainly) soon manage to get us to forget about it and to smile again. A lot of us in our lifetime will take our family and friends for granted because we just presume that they will always be there for us; but this isn't always the case.
Unfortunately, a much sadder part of Christmas is remembering our loved ones who are no longer with us. I'm sure that we can all think of at least one person who will have been missing from the dinner table today. The first Christmas is always one of the hardest because it's gone from them being there with us one year to them not being here the next. And even though it might not seem like it, we are all thinking of them and what they're missing out on. Because family and friends are everything at Christmas and it wouldn't be Christmas without them. But having to spend Christmas (and, in particular, Christmas Day) without our loved ones can be hard but we all manage to get through it each year somehow. And even though we try not to think about them too much because it's meant to be a time of happiness, not one of sadness, they will always be on our mind. And it's okay to get upset because we all miss someone dearly at this time of year, in fact it's all year round, but we all find a way of getting through the day.
So what does Christmas mean to me? Christmas means spending time with friends and family. Both of these sets of people are what makes us, us and for that I am thankful. I am thankful for the fact that I have such a great set of people around me to spend my Christmas, and in general my life, with. If it wasn't for these people then I have no idea where I'd be right now. So for that, I am thankful.
And finally, to you. You reading this have really completed my life as you manage to keep me going by reading this blog which encourages me to make more posts. If it wasn't for you then this blog wouldn't exist. I am thankful for those of you who have been here since I started this blog back in August 2015 and who have continued to read each and every post. Even to those of you who may have only just started reading this blog, I am so thankful for the fact that you are here. And to those of you who have found some kind of help with some of the stuff I have been posting that I have been going through, I am so thankful that those posts have helped you out and have potentially saved you. And to all of you, if you ever need me at any time, whether it be day or night, just feel free to get in contact and I promise you that I will get back to you as soon as I possibly can. You all mean the absolute world to me and I'd hate it if something happened to any of you and you felt like you couldn't talk to someone about it.
Well, this is my last post of 2016. I would just like to thank you all for this year. You've been there through all of the highs and lows and this blog has made it through a whole year. There have been times where I've felt like giving it all up because I've been too busy. But I've worked through it and you've all helped me with that. I hope that you all, and more of you, continue this journey with me into 2017 and I hope that we have a lot of laughs along the way. But for now, I would just like to say goodbye to 2016 and say a hearty hello to the year ahead.
Love Beth xx
No comments:
Post a Comment