Well, here it is then, Merry Christmas!

...Pause...

Now, I don't know what you're doing while you're reading this, or how you're feeling, or what kind of day you have coming. For all I know, the day may be over and you're reading this at midnight.

Maybe it's 4am, another wakeful night and you're online again because you can't sleep and it's one way to distract yourself from all the negative thoughts crawling in your head.

Perhaps these words reach you in that lull between the kids bouncing all over the bed gloating over the things Santa brought, and the moment when you must get up, make breakfast and start cooking Christmas lunch for the family, his mother, your never-can-be-pleased sister and her whiny offspring, and Uncle Roger who is loud and boisterous and tells off-colour jokes. You're wondering if 8am is too early to start on the sherry.

This Christmas you may be on your own. It might be the first Christmas you're on your own, or this may be normal for you. Some friends have kindly invited you for lunch; which is nice of them, but you're still on your own.

I suppose however, more important than the kind of Christmas you are experiencing, is your mental state in which you are experiencing it.

I feel so fortunate in having come out of my depression a couple of weeks ago. I can face cooking and entertaining and having the whole family round on Boxing Day. I can be with people and relate.

But not every Christmas has been like that. There have been Christmases where I could barely get out of bed and Christmases where, while able to function, I watched the children unwrapping gifts as if through the wrong end of a telescope. Somehow, I went through the motions, but I wasn't really there. If that is you this year, I can empathise.

But we get through it somehow.

It's only twenty-four hours.

Yes, there's the rest of the season, for those of us with families and/or friends who wish to make the most of it. There's the expectation that we will stay up to see in the New Year; but I think Christmas Day is the worst.

I hope this day is wonderful for you. I hope it is filled with joy and human connection, and if you have a Christian faith, a deep spiritual satisfaction. I hope you have a very happy Christmas.

But, if your Christmas cannot be happy, then I wish for you strength, endurance and hope.

Wherever you are, whatever time it is for you, whatever you are doing or have been doing today, I would remind you, in the words of my favourite meme, your record for getting through bad days to date is 100%.

You can get through this one too.

I promise.

Mary

A Moodscope member.