Why friendship and family are our greatest Christmas gift - an optimist's festive view...
Last updated 1/2/2012 12:13:24 PM
Why friendship and family are our greatest Christmas gift
As you wrap up work for another year and wrap up your final Christmas gifts, what's on your mind?
Are you thinking of the presents you'll receive this festive season - that electronic gadget that you hinted about to your loved ones, that must-have fashion item or that trip away that you hope the love of your life has secretly arranged?
Maybe it's all of the above, but the chances are that mostly you are looking forward to spending time with family and friends over the days that follow. From an optimist's perspective, friendship and family are key to what make Christmas a truly special, positive experience.
So okay, there are always some family tensions to negotiate and friends may have to steer clear of a few thorny issues that have been part of the year-long journey that have brought them to this place. But the important thing surely is that they are here and you are here and that's an affirmation worth more than your latest Amazon or Ebay purchase.
Strip away the tinsel, the lights, the excesses of food, the steady flow of wine and you're left with the relationships that make life worthwhile - that hopefully have made it a year to remember and make the coming twelve months the most desirable gift of all.
Someone very close to me used to say don't worry about the bows and the wrapping, "people just want to see what they have got" - and that's the beauty of the year ahead and the relationships that will endure or the new ones that come our way. They are gifts that need no dressing, no bows nor decorative additions to surprise and delight. They're gifts of infinite possibilities and they're ours to discover.
Merry Christmas to you all and here's to a very optimistic new year....