There’s a collective understanding that we’ve done all we can for now. This is the time for standing still and seeing out the year. If you were lucky enough to have good parents, you were likely at the centre of Christmas Day as a child. Something we once felt so sure of – that Christmas must be a particular way – suddenly becomes less true. In adulthood, we gain an appreciation for the preciousness of this slow time, and the fragility of the life we’ve built.

Source: The Irish Times December 25, 2025 06:31 UTC