This was originally posted Christmas 2016 reminding us to think of others even when we are really busy with our own lives and problems. I don’t think this has ever been more important in my lifetime.

Kindness comes in two forms; kindness to others but also to yourself. If you know someone who may be alone or struggling, reach out to them; if it’s you, reach out to someone who can talk to you. Those of you who know me know that talking is one of my favourite things… just ask.
Although this original post was about Christmas cheer, it is relevant now when we need cheering more than ever. Some of the kindness suggested cannot be practised now because of our new favourite phrase ‘social distancing’ but let’s be kind from a distance.

Do you remember the excitement of putting up the advent calendar when you were a child? It meant Christmas was really on its way. It’s a practise I gave up years ago but I saw something this week that is making me reinstate the idea of ‘opening a door’ each day.

I have spoken in the year and in the clinic about Random Acts of Kindness and how they are so easy to do and so lovely to receive. So every day in advent I plan to ‘open a door’ and spread Christmas cheer with random acts of kindness. The easiest will be to smile, holding a door open or acknowledging a kindly driver who lets me through the traffic. I will try to remember that the person holding up the supermarket queue may be chatting to the cashier because it is the only conversation they will have today.
I challenge you to join me and we can all add up our open doors on Christmas Eve and congratulate ourselves for spreading the real meaning of Christmas.

“Life is mostly froth and bubble,
Two things stand like stone:
Kindness in another’s trouble,
Courage in your own”
Adam Lindsay Gordon