A Gift for Everyone

In the past, Reading Interfaith Group was able to send a seasonal greeting card to our supporters. A happy realisation that we are a rapidly growing organisation, combined with a less welcome observation about the cost of postage has recently obliged us to modify this approach.

Seasonal greetings could seem very shallow if we could not also be honest. For many people, reality does not match up with how this time of year is so often portrayed. If you are a Christian, of primary school age, believe in Father Christmas, and come from a reasonably affluent, well-functioning family with plenty of time, it’s amazing! For those of us with different faith backgrounds, Christmas can feel quite isolating.  In certain occupations, the challenges increase. Some incomes do not match expectations. When you are lonely, have difficult social networks and are already stressed, it’s hard to feel enthusiastic about receiving season’s greetings

So instead, I’m sharing with you news of the challenge I  have set myself for next year. Its been a bit delayed, due to the impossibility of climbing loft ladders with a broken ankle.

Thanks to our family’s collective knowledge of Marie Kondo, I have been warned, that the task of sorting out our loft should not be tackled piecemeal but requires planning and commitment. Even though our roof-space currently resembles the unexplored contents of Tutankhamen’s tomb, Marie Kondo first recommends emptying the loft entirely. We are then expected to consider each item separately, and “Keep only those things that speak to the heart, and discard items that no longer spark joy. Thank them for their service – then let them go.”

For many of us, this time of year is much like the Marie Kondo method as so many aspects of life are chaotically presented in the space of a few days.  As that loft hatch descends, the past, present and future present a series of dilemmas. Who do we remember, how to cope with challenging guests, what should we buy, how to allocate time, will we be able to cope, how can we make it all absolutely perfect and where can we place our memories?

Even at this most challenging time there is hope.  The most challenging and upsetting memories and situations will have strengthened and shaped our characters because we have survived. Even when we are totally immersed in trouble, there will be a time when we can look back, knowing that the best we could have done really was the best.

According to Marie Kondo “You are not choosing what to discard but rather choosing to keep only the items that speak to your heart. Through tidying, you can reset your life and spend the rest of your life surrounded by the people and things that you love the most. “

Season’s greetings provide an inclusive opportunity to choose and celebrate our priorities. On a particularly cold, dark and unpleasant time of year there are festivals of light, hope and celebration.  These gifts we share are an opportunity for gratitude, renewing our foundations and looking forward to the future.

Sarah Griffin