I am one of those souls who love Christmas. Even with all the horrible commercial hype, I still get a thrill when the lights go up and Christmas trees begin to appear. But my many years as a psychotherapist gave me plenty of reminders that for many it is a time of loneliness, mounting stress and financial anxiety, and a cauldron for inter-familial rows. My own conclusion is that, by and large, if your own childhood Christmas was for the most part fun, then you too, again with the usual reservations, will also enjoy Christmas. For me, there was nothing in the world as exciting as the vision of a bulging stocking (one of my mother’s stout elasticated ones) filled with…

Source: The Times December 22, 2019 00:30 UTC