Although they may appear at any time, Christmas seems to be a particularly good time of year for ghosts: apparitions are just more 'apparent'. We all know the story of Scrooge and there's something delicious about hearing a scary Christmas ghost story. There's also something obviously special about this festive season – a time where comfortable family values are traditionally supported and recollections of cherished childhood are never far from the surface.
Many phantoms manifest when least expected, when the mind is occupied and when tasks have already taken the hand. It may be that the way the dinner is arranged is exactly the way mum did it, or that Grandma in her chair is momentarily glimpsed from the corner of the eye. These departed and the dead will always exert a pull on the attention of the present and the living.
Those who actively seek ghosts may unhappily find that their appearances are weak, contrived or nonexistent. Conversely, an un-sought presence could be most strongly felt at odd junctures: peeling potatoes, lighting candles, going for an afternoon walk, doing the stockings on Christmas Eve. Such poignant times may prompt a quick sigh, a pang of heartache or a solitary unnoticed tear to fall – after all, the departed are gone forever leaving only memories as the strongest proof of their once-vibrant existance.
Who'd not want to be a part of Christmas, at least in its effect? The occasion for repetitions of cheerful customs and of actions that by common consensus usually create untroubled happiness, we want our nearest and dearest to enjoy the occasion, wherever they are. It helps reminds us that what we did then affects what we do now and that this will change the future. We are but the middle of the string that links past with future.
So, if you are happy celebrating and the ghosts of the loved and the lost come a-calling, smile and raise a glass in their honour. You owe it to them, yourself and those that will come after.
Merry Christmas Mum and Josie
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