Twelfth Night

I couldn't put it off any longer - and believe me, I tried!  The Christmas decorations had to be taken down, the presents put away and Christmas 2018 is officially over.  

The memories are still there.  My delight in buying my first ever Christmas jumper and my even bigger delight in appearing at church as Santa's Big Helper.  The contentment of sharing meals with my various cousins.  The joy of worship in this lovely season.  The serenity of Christmas day alone.  The love shown in giving and receiving presents, especially the home made gifts.  The pleasure in reading news of friends and family as I open Christmas cards.  I know Christmas is over-commercialised, I know that too few remember the reason for the season but nothing can diminish the joy which the annual remembrance of the birth of our Saviour brings me each year.

So the decorations are down and waiting for Pete-the-handyman to come on Monday to stow them away for me.  Thank you letters are written and Christmas is almost done.

Almost but not quite.  Tomorrow Epiphany starts, the remembrance that wise people came to find meaning in the events they saw around them when they followed the star.  Through Advent I shared one of my nativity scenes with you as my stable unfolded day by day.  Now I've changed to another set, as a reminder of the awaited arrival of the wise ones.  They're on the way!