Christmas ~ not always a time for family

It's Christmas...that time of year when everyone rushes about asking everyone else what they are doing for the holiday season, or Christmas lunch, or New years eve. People worn out by a long year of work suddenly have a little more lift in their step and hum along to Christmas songs blaring out of every shopping mall speaker.

It is the season of family, roast lunches and long dinners that stretch into the early hours of the morning. It is the time when people don't have to work and instead enjoy (or don't) time with loved ones - with holidays often planned months, sometimes years in advance.

However, for some - Christmas is not the picture perfect family adventure.Some may be sitting in old age home - alone, sad and cherishing bygone times of family being together. Others may be sitting in a childrens home - wishing and dreaming of the day they have a family of their very own to spend Christmas with, missing their own family they may or may not have ever known.

There are those working across the festive season - pilots, hosties, aircraft engineers, doctors, policemen, paramedics, military personnel, nurses, firemen...when one stops to think about it the list of those who will not be sitting at the family table is actually quite long.

So this Christmas, take a little time to think of those who may not be as fortunate as others in their celebrations.. If you are lucky enough to have some spare change, have a couple of chocolates in your car/handbag and randomly give them out, along with a big festive smile -  to policemen, paramedics, homeless people or old neighbors you know are alone...after all, it is the time to be thankful and a time of giving, and you never know - your smile could change someones entire festive season!