13 Days to Boxing Day

Tell us one thing you hope people say about you.

I’ve heard many of the things people say about me. Of course I focus on the unkind, inaccurate and cruel because I am, a woman, a people pleaser and a human. The same can be said for the kind and thoughtful comments. I question if they are deserved, maybe those comments are inaccurate too. I realise that these statements make me sound like a swirling ball of angst but in the spirit of the festive season I will share the gift of wisdom my dad gave me a long while ago.

” You don’t have to be the best or the cleverest, but you do have to turn up”

Goodness knows what fire of teenage drama he was trying to quench when he came out with that nugget of sagacity but I have carried it happily as both my top and bottom line of behaviour. Of course I have learned to twist that sentence to both my advantage and disadvantage.

I am hopeless at over-committing and turning up too often. But conversely I have sometimes ‘turned up’ and unexpectedly scooped the prize.

Somehow, and I don’t really know why it has given me a level of immunity to what people say about me. I don’t really have too much expectation in that regard.

“She turned up” will do just fine.

And so onto N in the 26 Days to Boxing Day.

Nativity.

I have no idea why I am such a pedant about Nativity scenes in public spaces but the storyline of a Christian Christmas is that the run up is all about hope and expectation.  Until Christmas morning there is no baby in the manger…

On a personal level this pedantry has bitten me on the bum. Imagine a working mother of two,staggering home after a long working day at 11pm on Christmas Eve. Everyone is asleep. One job before morning is to put Jesus in his manger.

Where is Jesus?

Frantic searching of nearby shelves and book cases. No luck.

The next hour is spent crafting a swaddled baby of tiny proportions out of a cotton wool ball, a Qtip or Cotton bud. Finger gauze and nail varnish.

Jesus, that was difficult!