1st of December 2019 and Archie is rolling in the foliage I’ve cut for my Advent’s wreath. I create one every year…just not on the right day. This year I made a determined effort to be on target.

I’ve always loved December. There are so many important dates in the month and that includes Christmas. I’m going all out this time. I’ve even made a Christmas cake and have a mother/daughter date to bake biscuits. And as for decor this year, gold is the colour that springs to mind. I may even spray some tired looking trinkets to match my theme.

Don’t get me wrong. I usually embrace the Christmas spirit fully. But yes, this year feels different. Even the garden is benefiting from my enthusiasm. There are some hydrangea bushes that are actually producing flowers – really! And the veggies for our special dinner will come from our own patch this year. Archie inspected them with me today and showed his approval by attacking my ankle.

So what has brought this all on? Life. An appreciation of my life, to be exact. The halfway mark in my chemo may have added to my mood. A promising scan definitely helped things along. The medical team, all the angels in the treatment room, my fellow travellers, beloved family and friends… Kindness. I have received such kindness from so many people and have decided that it truly deserves to be a religion in its own right.

My wish for you this Christmas, is that you give and receive an abundance of kindness. Most of all, I hope you’ll be kind to yourself and do the things that are important to you, (even if they aren’t to the people around you.) Light a candle as often as you can, to remind yourself of your own vital life force. You’re alive on this crazy planet and you can make an enormous difference to so many people around you. Do it!

P S I’m accepting Archie’s love bite as an early gift and I trust that he meant it in the kindest way…