Last Christmas was different, and this one will again be different for many of us.

Wherever we are in the world, we all have our own ways of celebrating. Here, in Vanuatu, I hear that Santa makes his visit on a paddleboard! If things aren’t the way we had hoped or planned, we can be creative and do it differently.

If you are missing family, to ease any feelings of loneliness, it’s good to do something that helps you relax and that you really enjoy – perhaps watch a favourite movie (I watch ‘Love Actually’…every year!), do a puzzle, take a long walk – give someone a call, or reach out to someone you don’t know so well. Giving time to others, whether volunteering or simply checking in on a neighbour, can be so heart-warming for everyone.

If you’re spending your first Christmas without a loved one, you might just want it all to hurry up and end. It helps to be honest with others about how you feel and, if you decide that you don’t want to celebrate this year, it’s ok. At the same time, sharing a few laughs with friends doesn’t mean you don’t love or miss the one who has passed. So, ask your heart what is it that you really want.

This Christmas, see the beauty …it’s all around you…and feel yourself smile.