Christmas in January

Last week I received a Christmas present in the post, along with a very apologetic note from a friend. She had sent it well in advance in mid December, but come Christmas day it hadn’t arrived. Eventually we got to the bottom of the missing parcel when it was returned to her, and she sent it off again to me. After all this to-ing and fro-ing it’s no surprise that it was almost the end of January by the time it eventually reached me.

My friend was very apologetic, but it turned out to be one of the nicest gifts I received this year. Firstly because of course, a present is a present, and no one should ever need to apologise for giving you wonderful things. But secondly because it arrived in January, in the midst of what often feels like a very long, dark, miserable month.

It always feels as though January drags on forever, and I for one am not sorry to see the end of it. But that belated Christmas present brightened up the final week for me, because of its kindness and also the simple act of a treat being delivered through my door.

February is thankfully not going to drag on quite so long as the previous month, but still even though it is officially spring the cold, dark mornings and evenings will continue for a while. I think my chances of any more delayed Christmas presents are slim, but I have run with the idea and ordered a parcel from a local bookshop to be delivered in a couple of weeks. Now I have something to look forward to, and by the time it arrives there will be just a few more weeks to wait until spring really begins to blossom.

On that note, I spotted more than one clump of snowdrops on a walk over the weekend. A wonderful welcome to spring, and a taster of the good things to come.

Escaping, once in a while

The past two years have brought a lot of challenges, some of which have been devastating, and some more easily overlooked. One thing I’ve noticed beginning to take an increased toll is the lack of options there have been to escape, or “get away from it all”.

Holidays are a blissful luxury many of us may have taken for granted before the pandemic, and since it struck their loss has hardly seemed the most difficult hardship to contend with. But just because they are a luxury doesn’t mean you cannot feel the absence of opportunities to get away.

The current situation has meant a lot of people working harder than ever before, for longer periods of time and without any real break. Sometimes it is not just the time off during a holiday that makes us feel refreshed, but the physical relocation, to somewhere outside your normal area of work and responsibilities.

This may not be possible for a while yet, but recently I have been very much enjoying substitutes on a smaller scale. We have made a habit of taking day trips, choosing a new place an hour or so away and making the trip for a walk, often with a picnic – although these have involved brief stops, warm clothes and hot flasks of tea of late!

I always end up feeling refreshed after one of these trips, and find it wonderful to feel as though I’ve had a bit of an escape from everything, even if not from the weather!

Saying thanks

Some of you might have noticed a few weeks ago that I taught some sessions from a different location. I’m back at home now, but had spent some time visiting friends, before the changes to Covid-19- related restrictions. It was wonderful to finally be able to visit, but after so many months of not being able to I found I had forgotten all the elements that going away entails…. Not least who was going to take care of our four chickens and Freddie the kitten.

Thankfully, one of our children stepped in at the last minute, but the four meals a day required by the collective menagerie was too much for one person, and our kind neighbours were also called on to share the load.

We were overwhelmed at this generosity, especially through reports of Freddie’s “lively” behaviour while we were away. No morsel of food was safe, the rubbish bin had to be defended at all times against vicious attack, and glasses, vases and even tables came crashing to the ground. “You can’t take your eye off him for even a second!” our daughter complained. We smiled to ourselves, reminded of the years of chaos when the children were young.

But far from disowning us over our badly-behaved kitten, we came home to find she had left fresh flowers, milk, bread and cheese to welcome us home. We were very grateful, and hugely enjoyed inviting both her and our neighbours over for dinner to say thank you.

Sometimes saying thank you can be a joy in itself, and it is certainly a joy to be thanked. My children have very fond memories of thanking the postman Tadgh around this time every year. We used to make chocolate caramel squares for him, and while he was always delighted, I’m sure the children enjoyed the experience even more than he did.

It can feel a bit odd giving thanks or gifts to those not expecting them. Sometimes it’s easy to feel embarrassed by this – I know I have more than one card and present sitting in a cupboard somewhere, undelivered due to a nervous wondering whether the other person would think the gesture too much. But, obviously, I was overthinking it. Of course there is a time and a place, but I’ve never yet encountered someone who hasn’t been pleased to receive recognition or a gift.

Lucy's story

It is almost a year since I first met Lucy, in December 2020, and the difference in her is astounding. She had been experiencing chronic pain for five years before she contacted me, but it had only been in the previous year that she had identified it as “chronic pain”, rather than individual issues each requiring separate attention.

She had lower back pain and leg pain, which she felt had previously been “blinding” her. We have worked together over the months, with Lucy leading the process of her recovery. She has delved into reading about TMS/PPD, and has even read the textbook twice!

Lucy told her story in a testimonial video at the beginning of this year, and I have been thrilled to see the further progress she has made since then. It has allowed her to devote more time and thinking space to the activities she enjoys, rather than the pain. She likes walking in nature in her spare time, and has been able to step even further into her role as an artist.

One of Lucy’s pieces

Lucy first discovered art in Transition Year at school, and did a portfolio course with the hope of continuing to art college. In the end she chose the academic route, and studied Art History at UCD. She then studied theatre, media and special effects make-up artistry, and lived and worked in several different countries over the next decade.

She describes being torn between her dream job and her day job, struggling to “allow” herself to be an artist. One day she sat down to her sketch pad and found a new style and expression developing, and along with it a new motivation and inspiration.

Now she creates art around the human form, finding her voice through a minimalist line art style. Based in Kilmacanogue in Co. Wicklow, she has created her own brand, Idir Na Línte. She is motivated by the belief that she can reach other people with her art, and the knowledge that each of her pieces is an expression of a quality, value or emotion that she herself has experienced.

Lucy is offering Resolving Chronic Pain subscribers a discount on her art, found on her website at Idir Na Línte. The 30% discount is active until November 30th, and can be applied at the checkout with the code MAGS30.