opening chapter twelve – hello december
Festive cheer. Time to decorate. ’Tis the season, at last. Lights glow. Last minute shopping. “Hasn’t it come around fast?” Porch kisses as mistletoe tempts from above. Snow settles on fields. Wooly hats. Leather gloves. Oak leaves dipped in frost (nature decorates too!) Bracing walks. ‘That festive feeling’ hits right on cue. Red berries dotted amongst evergreen leaves. Robins. Bare branches. Starry nights. Bushy wreathes. Driving home. Festive tunes. Mulled wine awaits! Sequins and sparkles for christmassy dates. Rustic hampers stocked with homemade goods sent with love. Remembering loved ones, looking down from above. Evenings spent wrapping in front of the fire. Clementines and clove. Carols sung by a choir. All the trimmings, drowned in gravy. At long last, we feast. Families flock to the sofa. Board games. Nostalgic memories unleashed. Time stands still. Lazy days give way to lazier nights. Zero plans. Just leftovers. Utter delight. World over, we countdown. With hope, look ahead. Reflect on where you’ve been, where you are, where you’d like to go next…
Thinking about what makes December special and putting it down on paper fills me with so much joy each year.
There’s so much to look forward to, the list feels endless. So much so that it’s always my longest monthly poem of the year!
Which is why I felt the need to create an entirely knew poem this month so that I could have an excuse to celebrate some of the traditions that I didn’t have space for this time last year!
From hearing the crunch of the earth as you walk through the fields on a frosty December morning to the joy that twinkling fairy lights in local shop windows brings, what can feel mundane (if you let it) throughout the year feels magical as soon as December arrives.
It’s one of the reasons I dedicated an entire section of Evergreen to December…
My book, my rules! What can I say..!
Speaking of Evergreen, if you’re on the hunt for Christmas present ideas, I know I’m bias but I happen to think it’s a rather lovely gift! Should you be stuck for general gift inspiration though, I’ve rounded up my recent purchases here. Though I’m bias, admittedly, I’d like to think there’s some lovely gift ideas in there if you happen to be buying for a country/fashion/beauty/interior/nature lover this Christmas! You can also expect numerous blog posts over the coming days featuring Christmas Day outfit ideas, New Year’s Eve inspiration, my advice for switching off properly over Christmas… Not to mention my favourite loungewear and pyjamas for the season, too!
’Tis the season for celebrating and switching off, after all!
It’s easy to solely focus on Christmas at this time of year though.
For me personally, some of the most magical days of the entire year fall in that final week leading up to the year’s end. The crackers have been pulled. Christmas has been and gone. And a sense of calm and tranquility is left in its wake. It’s in this week that I have no qualms in retreating inwards. Taking stock of the year. (What am I grateful for? What have I learnt? What more do I need to learn?) And as I say in my poem above, having a long, hard think about where I am and where I’d like to go next if I didn’t hold myself back. It’s a period of reflection that I truly look forward to each year and for that reason, can’t be overlooked when I think about what December means to me, in full.
For that reason, if you don’t do so already, I highly recommend taking advantage of those last few days of the year and prioritising moments of reflection in and around the hours lost to boxsets and board games! If you’re anything like me, it will encourage you to acknowledge your ‘wins’ throughout the year and inspire a sense of optimism and motivation for the year ahead.
Ultimately, it’s a month full of magical moments, big and small, to be treasured.
Whether it’s been a year to remember or a year you’re keen to wave off, I hope those moments of magic find you in the coming weeks.
Lydia x
As always, I’d love to hear what makes December special for you.
Let me know in the comments below…
