Dec 19

Dec 19 My top 5 Christmas and New Year wishes

As this will be my last blog before the end of 2019, and as the coming year brings with it not just a new decade, but also, for me personally one of those significant birthdays with a zero at the end of it (I was born in the third week of the sixties. I’ll leave you to do the maths), this seemed as good a moment as any for a spot of reflection on my hopes for all of us in the coming year, and years.

So here goes with the random collection of wishes that I would like to hang, all twinkly and hopeful, on the metaphorical These Are The Heydays Christmas tree. (Go on, indulge me with a bit of descriptive whimsey. It is nearly Christmas, after all)

Wish bauble no 1

Can we all be more kind to each other please?

I have no intention of revisiting the many ways in which the world seems to have become a nastier, meaner, less tolerant place. God knows, you only have to open a newspaper or a Twitter feed to see that for yourself.

But just as it’s down to each of us to do our bit to protect our environment and the planet (let’s do as much of that as we possibly can) , we’re all equally powerful in our ability to make our communities, neighbourhoods and our wider society more forgiving, more humane, and more welcoming.

To shamelessly steal a lyric from Bob Geldof’s classic Christmas anthem, Feed The World, (I hope this doesn’t make me liable for royalties or anything), let’s all do our best to ‘spread a smile of joy’.

Wish bauble no 2

And let’s extend that kindness to ourselves too

I’m pretty certain I’m not the only one who’s far harder on, and less forgiving of, myself than I ever am of anyone else.

We (I’m going to plug on with the collective pronoun in the determined belief that I’m not alone) definitely need to stop doing that. This world is a tough enough place (see above bauble) without us beating ourselves up for being somehow less successful/stylish/good-looking/intelligent/fit/well-travelled/well-informed/mindful of others (delete as appropriate from this not remotely exhaustive list. Or not at all) than everyone, or anyone, else.

Instead, my wish for the coming year, and decade, is that we all regularly give ourselves a mighty, well-earned pat on the back and an all-enveloping hug for being the fabulous, flawed works-in-progress that we all are.

Wish bauble no 3

Let’s banish the phrase anti-ageing.

For starters, we’re all ageing from the moment we’re born. For seconds, ageing bloody well beats the alternative, so we should be celebrating it, wildly and enthusiastically, not trying to fight it off with a linguistic stick. And for thirds, we need to stop making anyone (and especially women) feel bad about how they look as they get older (yes, I’m especially talking to you, everyone who works in the cosmetic industry).

I realise that sounds dangerously like a rant rather than a wish, so I’ll breath in and calm down as I hang up my shiny wish bauble, filled to the brim with my hopes that regarding ageing as anything other than a privilege to be embraced and enjoyed as much as possible, will have become shockingly out of date by the time another decade rolls around.

Wish bauble no 4

Let’s buy less and value more

Without wanting to be preachy or puritanical (these are sparkly wishes, after all), we all know that for us to continue consuming at the rate we are is unrealistic, unnecessary and unsustainable. It’s no idle exaggeration to say we all have too much stuff. It’s a simple fact.

Speaking as someone who has always loved the thrill of a new purchase - whether it’s something to wear or something for my home - I absolutely acknowledge that that’s a pleasure that’s hard to give up.

But I also remember when I was an impoverished drama school student (I studied Stage Management. I never harboured any acting ambitions) how much satisfaction and enjoyment I got from unearthing treasures in charity and second hand shops. And how much I loved redesigning and repurposing things to give them a new lease of life, or make them more to my taste.

It’s time to (re)discover those pleasures, and for us all to find more joy in people and experiences, than shopping and stuff.

Which neatly leads me on to

Wish bauble no 5

Let’s keep on having new experiences and adventures

One of the, I know hardly original, realisations of crossing the rubicon from middle to older age, is being disconcertingly confronted with the undeniable fact that I have less time left than I’ve already had. And being proportionately all the more determined to make the most of every moment of whatever time I do have (which, clearly, I very much hope will be very many years).

The list of countries and places I want to visit is growing, not shrinking. The same goes for my appetite for trying and experiencing new things. Indeed, I’ve said to anyone who’s been kind enough to ask me what present I’d like for my upcoming big-zero birthday, that rather than things (see previous bauble) I’d like to be given experiences. Even better, experiences that I can share with the giver.

If you were to do the same, just think of all the wonderful memories, and maybe new skills, you’ll have to treasure as a result.

One of my best experiences of the past couple of years has been creating and building this Heydays community, sharing my adventures with all of you, and, I hope, enthusing and inspiring you along the way.

Let’s do lots more of that together in the 2020s.

A very, very happy Christmas to all of you, and I hope the New Year brings you all the things you wish for the most.

What baubles would you add to this wish list?