The Spirit of Christmas

Merry Christmas to all, and to all, the work is about to start. If, like myself, you are a parent, you are about to enter the realms of noise and excitement. This is a joy that has most likely been left behind many years ago!

Whether the children, or even the adult, want to receive a games console, construction kit, or a spanking new train set, there will always be the need to ensure that they are set up correctly, electronics work and all packaging has been safely moved out of the way. (Though 'out of the way' can mean that another one of your brood is playing in it, taking a notable precedence over the new radio control car that you have lovingly wrapped up for them.)

This is the first year that I have felt less about the gift giving, and more about the time shared, the jolly old fellow giving hope, and those that are less fortunate. It has been coming on for years, but this time, it is far more encompassing. I have thought a lot about the news footage of those babies being carried through the streets of Aleppo, Syria. There is a vivid memory of children swinging about in the arms of their loved ones.

Did this event have an impact on you?

What is the spirit of Christmas? Are we so involved with the giving of a gift, one that is expensive and easily discarded after six months, if you're lucky? Don't get me wrong, there are gifts that are valuable; they are valuable because they are useful. 'Oh bum, my Xbox controller is broken! Ta-Da! A new one!'
Whether you celebrate Christmas, or you have an alternative belief, the joy of Noel is in us all.

My first message is about giving a thought for those in pain or trouble around the world. What about the homeless in your neighbourhood? It isn't always far away, where the help can be given.
My second message is even simpler: When giving gifts, you need to remember one major thing, have you got any batteries in the drawer? If not, oh dear!

Merry Christmas to you all, and enjoy the spirit more than the things you are given. I'm not saying that you shouldn't love the gifts that are given to you, just consider the spirit first and foremost!

Take care you STEMtastic individual.