Christmas is not an easy time for people with disabilities or age related health problems.  The Alzheimers Society warn people annually that Christmas festivities may adversely affect those living with dementia. Family parties, where people gather who have not met for some time, can create confusion and even distress for the person who has cognitive…

Not long ago, I was contacted by a lovely Christian who broke down as he tried to speak with me on the phone. Patiently waiting as he tried to control his emotions, I learned that he was facing a life-changing challenge and even had occasional suicidal thoughts. In the circumstances, only a very few Christians…

Would you prefer to be happy or joyful, (or both)?          It seems easier to describe happiness as we see happiness around us. People out celebrating look happy. When Ipswich Town score the fans look happy – unless of course you are a fan of the opposition! We might meet a friend who has received some…

My sister found this photograph recently and sent me a copy. I’m related to most of the people in the photo. My grandfather and my dad are in the middle of the picture, holding the mugs. Goodness, it’s like a different world! My grandfather and my dad are in the middle of the picture, holding…

Do you have a nativity scene in your home? Sometimes they come as advent calendars now with a different figure to add each day in the run up to Christmas. When I had my children small, we had a nativity and I remember often glancing at it as the preparations got more intense and the…

I recently had an interesting conversation with two colleagues who, like me, are beginning their retirement. The point for discussion was legacy folders and documents, both the physical sort and the electronic ones. For me, pressing delete on many hundreds of documents and even more emails was easy, but I am stuck with the bottom…