Reflections

At some point life is cruel to everyone, as your list demonstrates. It truly is the human condition - we have no choice but to grin and bear it and to try and help each other as best we can. I hope that all your dear friends and relatives see some improvement in their lives soon. I am sure they value your support and friendship.

GA you have so many people in your life because you are caring. Please just do what you can for them but don't let it get you down. There is only so much each of us are able to give without damaging ourselves. I know it is easier said than done.

I find that there are times when all the pain in the world gets to me and I feel very emotional. It is happening right now and the smallest as well as the bigger things just set me off wanting to week.

granny-a give yourself a break! You can't take on the cares of the world like that! Are they close family or very dear friends? If not, let some of it go.

grannya, like so many GNs I suspect , I often think of all the worries in and outside of my life and start feeling down.
I have to give myself a bit of a kick up the backside to also be sure I include all the lovely things and moments to balance it out. I'd sink rather quickly if I didn't do this !

Give the list to your church.

Mishap your first two sentences are what I was getting at really.
loopylou I do have many, many things that are wonderful in my life and that's my point really. All the really good things are centred on relationships, but sometimes when those people I love are going through the wars it hurts. When things are going well I rejoice.
I do very often count my blessings; most especially when troubles come and I need a sense of perspective. Like now!

I guess it's also when we can't do anything to make things better, and have no control over them either, that the pain really kicks in. In some ways it's part of being caring and, as you say, trying to hang on to a sense of perspective.
When I read some of the things that GNs are going through I truly count my blessings

By definition, at least for me, having a family that gather and celebrate at Christmas makes one think of those for whom the time will not be happy. On a personal level we have had four deaths in the family in the past year. Two of them were sudden and unexpected, two were premature and I keep thinking of their immediate family, widows and widowers, children, some quite young, who are going into Christmas without someone who was there last year and who they had no reason to expect not to be them with them this year.

At times like these tragedies like that in Glasgow go deeper than they would at other times of the year. But I think this is because most of us at sometime in our lives will have been that grieving family.

And whether we are religious or not Christmas does bring together both the celebration of the winter solstice and the Christian story of a family who were refugees, and poor and could not find proper accommodation, so that a baby was born in a cow shed. A story that is still happening in the middle east as I write this.

Good post flick.

Good post Ga and I agree with Flickety.

I posted in soop's kitchen that I was feeling reflective.

We have had a few 'things' going on this year with premature deaths, marriage break-ups, Mum giving us scares, DH working far too hard and being too conscientious not to etc, etc!!

Then horrendous things nationally do resonate more deeply. That's perhaps why I'm feeling a bit weepy this morning.

kitty - me too.

I hope that the spirit of Christmas will lift yours.

ga I know that your faith will keep you going, but do take care of yourself physically too!!