Third Day of Christmas

Three French Hens: Exchanging Visits

In this series of items the Twelve Days of Christmas traditional song is used to find inspiration for some Christmas Musings.

Inspiring ideas about community and maintaining links with people who live far away.

Christmas is a time when we all try to reach out. In the rush to manage all the preparations for busy parents, does it sometimes feel false? Writing the cards with their standard jolly images when one may not be feeling very jolly – there is just so much to do! Writing yet again, “Hope to see you this year,” aware that another year has passed with no real contact. Or can it seem at times a bit uncomfortable or competitive – no-one really seems to appreciate the round robin full of one family’s marvellous achievements: but reaching out sending cards is giving and receiving and is the stuff of community. Something we need desperately and which can be hard to find in our modern life.

Aching Good Cheer

Again the good cheer messages of Christmas are achingly hard if the family have lost a loved one, not had a good year or if one feels isolated and alone. Reaching out to help people who are lonely ensuring that families in difficult circumstances have help and that all the children get presents might seem token but there is something there that we so much need in our lives now – the idea of belonging to a community.

Sense of Community

Visits are exchanged, presents given and messages sent from families around the world at this time; a theme of contact overseas, airmail and air travel, and simply visiting each other in a festive spirit. These contacts, visits and annual links makes me think of the richness of community experiences for our children. How amazing that this sense of community now can stretch through instant electronic communications to any country on our planet. It has a richness and warmth which our children and families need in order to feel happy and healthy and able to face and surmount all the challenges ahead in their lives.

So on the third day of Christmas is the gift of three French hens standing for our links with people who may live far away but are there as our community an exchange of friendship providing stability for our children in belonging to an international village.

Get in Touch

This was written by Rose and you can contact her here.