It’s almost Christmas Day. The tree is up and glowing. The front yard is slathered in Christmas lights. The turkey is thawing and the chicken will arrive in the grocery order tomorrow. Mince pies are in the cupboard. Presents are ready to be wrapped.

This is the time of year when people make an extra effort to prove they still have a few drops of human kindness flowing through their veins.  The homeless shelters are giving their clients special dinners. People are surprising the less fortunate amongst us with gifts of Christmas hampers, or money, or toys for the kids. Other people are inviting the relatives they usually avoid, to Christmas lunch with the family. All over the world, people are trying to be polite and kind (unless they’re Christmas shopping, and you pick up the thing they’ve pushed through crowds to reach; then things can get a bit snarly).

It makes a nice change. In fact, it makes me wonder why we don’t try to see what it would be like if we kept it up for the rest of the year. I realise I sound a trifle “Pollyana-ish” but I still reckon it’s worth giving it a go.

Yes, there’ll be some who’ll take advantage of your good nature. There’ll be some who’ll throw your kindness back in your face. There’ll be some who’ll judge you as being weak, because you forgive them. So what? If they want to be miserable mongrels, let ’em.

However, you might shine a little bit of hope, or joy, or delight into someone’s darkened corner. You might make someone smile. You might even be the answer to a child’s prayer. You would be part of a “love revolution”. (There’s my inner hippy, making an appearance.) Heaven knows this world could use a bit of that.

In the words of dear old Glen Campbell:
You’ve got to try a little kindness, yes show a little kindness
Shine your light for everyone to see
And if you’ll try a little kindness, you’ll overlook the blindness
Of the narrow minded people on the narrow minded streets

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, wishing you a warm winter solstice and felicitations for any other celebrations that may be taking place. I’m celebrating Jesus’s birthday but I realise that’s not true for all of you. Regardless of your belief system, I wish you all joy, love, hope and delight, now and in the year to come.