I don’t like Christmas

I’ve never enjoyed this time of year. It’s hard to put my finger on quite what aspects of Christmas I find difficult, and used to unfairly blame my now long dead parents for their efforts at creating a happy family Christmas. But they did their best and I suspect they found me difficult, which looking back I was.

My happiest Christmas days have been when I chose to spend it working and so avoided it all together. I’ve volunteered to milk cows, fed pigs and one year, borrowed a JCB and created a car park from what had been an overgrown orchard.

When the ‘day’ arrives, my mood usually plummets and I’ve been known to sit in a quiet room alone, while my extended family enjoy a leisurely Christmas lunch. This year will be the first Christmas spent in our new home, so I need to approach it with a more positive attitude. However, while I will make an effort to be cheerful, I will still be looking forward to 27th December, when life returns to normal.