• What a dreadful legacy this era of time will leave our children, grandchildren and maybe great-grandchildren. If we contine on the present path we are opening the floodgates to huge increases in gambling addiction. We have already opened the floodgates to a huge increase in alcoholism and struggling to close them even a little. We already have begun an increase in babies, toddlers and children given less parental face and eye to eye contact while their parents have eyes and attention tfor their iphones, facebook and computer games. Childrens' safety, psyches and development have already begun to be negatively affected by their access to the internet, and sometimes excessive hours staring at a plethora of screens. We have begun a rise in narcissism in the younger generations. Now we are going to add rampant gambling addiction over the next 20 years. God help us, because we certainly aren't helping ourselves. The next 20-50yrs don't look pretty. It will take several generations to overcome all this. I wish the politicians and business leaders of this country could look past 'today' and keep the future in mind. Please, will the people of character and strength of all parts of our society please stand up and fight for our children. Get this gambling "addiction" to having to having it everywhere all the time out of the lives and formative minds of our children and teenagers. Keep it where it belongs - very firmly 'for adult eyes only'. And, 'adult' does not begin at 15! - Gracie123
  • I just love ya guts (and your beautiful face), Mrs Woog. x - Maxabella
  • every bit helps - and agree - wish I'd stuck my head in a hat and worn more spf+++ THIS is the advice I pass on..... - aj
  • The Fairfax article said Stephen Conroy had “brokered a deal with the television industry to allow betting companies to continue spruiking live odds” during sports broadcasts. Free TV said a quote in the story attributed to its CEO was used out of context....Mmm...wonder how that happened? They are planning to have a new code enforcing a ban on promoting odds on TV in place by August so lets hope the public pressure makes sure there is a positive outcome. - JoanneH
  • Gee, Gee, I was brought up to have respect for myself and my elders and show respect to all persons. Automatically - no earning of it - a given. One can always withdraw from an individual, family member or not, who does not reciprocate, or who demonstrates lack of respect for themselves and others. Think again, consider your words, look for meaning in Ms Summers' writing about respect. Perhaps you may find your own consciousness raised. Respectfully, Mim Adamson - Mim Adamson
  • Really? Tell me, what is the most heinous sin in Islam. Paedophilia, murder ... nup. It's shirk and Christians commit it everytime they worship Jesus as the son of God. It is unforgivable, and we all know that Muslims are not into turning the other cheek, don't we. As infidels we are nothing, less than nothing. Add the current 'invasion' rhetoric that is filling our young Aboriginals with such hate and we have a cocktail for disaster. The Muslims are activity recruiting young aboriginals and together their hate will explode. Mark my words - if the academics don't stop peddling hate and blaming 'whites' for their ingrained, cultural violence and if our leaders don't grow a spine, the Australia we leave for our children will not be the one we know now. - Gee
  • Gee, the fact that you 'accuse' many female politicians of belonging to Emily's List, as if this was something shameful, puzzles me. What is it about women giving other women help & advice in their chosen field that you find so threatening? There are many other support groups helping women in business, for example. Do you find them objectionable too? While there are 'women' like yourself who are happy to berate & belittle other women we have no hope of achieving equality & respect. Criticism is a useful tool used constructively, personal abuse just creates animosity. Also, Anne, I think you could have written 'Lack of respect for women as they DO these..... Rather than ' try to do'. - Madge
  • That is a terrible generalization, Gee, and most unfair to the vast majority of Muslims. - Janet G
  • What a hero that woman is and what a great example she shows to everyone! - Janet G
  • PS Ingrid Loyau-Kennett deserves a bravery award... - Joni
 
6
Categories:  Stockland Shopwise, Your Stories

THE ART OF SURVIVING CHRISTMAS

By Sarah Wayland
December 6, 2011

As Christmas – and the inevitable mention of the silly season – rolls around again we start to see polar opposite images of the festive season emerge.

On one hand a picture of togetherness as a family, for others the pain of isolation.

There is a lot of space between these two images and Christmas often makes these spaces a little more obvious.

Blended families juggling time with kids, people edging towards their first Christmas without a loved one, people separated by distance, migration or just plain old family conflict can make the season of togetherness nothing more than a reminder of what’s not around.

Lifeline and other mental health charities all highlight the impact that Christmas can have on people’s anxiety and stress levels.

The challenges can force people to have to find new ways of coping.

Graham Long is the pastor of The Wayside Chapel in the inner city of Sydney. Graham regularly sends out messages to Wayside supporters – his Christmas message for 2010 that invited people to the Wayside Christmas Party read: “If you have no family or if you have family but wish that you didn’t…”. The invite stuck with me and this year I asked him some tips for surviving the season if your idea of Christmas doesn’t match those warm fuzzies we are all supposed to have.

Even Graham admitted to the “Oh shit, not again!” feeling when Christmas seems like it happens every three months. But that said, Graham thinks that Christmas can actually do us all a world of good, because throughout the year we all get caught up in the everyday.

“What you find is that Christmas forces people to stop. It forces us to see what’s in front of us and some of the wonder can actually rub off”, he said.

The Wayside Chapel Christmas Day Street Party is a gathering for people who don’t have support, or don’t like the support they have. Graham, in his laconic manner, suggests that people shouldn’t stay home and be miserable: “They should be miserable with us.”

 Page 1 of 2 next >>
support us

6 Responses to this article

  1. gardnerm December 6, 2011 Reply
     
     

    Love this piece. Since putting a cap of $30.00 on our Christmas gifts or even some years we don’t exchange gifts if people can’t afford it, our silly seasons have been so much more about being together than what am I going to get, it’s been so liberating and joyous and yes! Children have and get way too much.

     
  2. Prawnfraser December 6, 2011 Reply
     
     

    Last year we did op shop Kris Kringle – the present had to be under $10 with an emphasis on finding something that would give us all a laugh.

     
  3. Sarah wayland December 7, 2011 Reply
     
     

    Interviewing Graham was a lovely breath of fresh air at this time of year…I’ve told him Im going to ring him everyday to make sure Im jolted out of my grinch-ness as the season nears!

     
  4. JessB December 16, 2011 Reply
     
     

    Love it, great work Sarah and Graham.

    My family had a really tough one last year – my Mum and Dad had just split up the month before. Blech, it was awful. This year will be tricky too, but I’m so lucky to have a great brother and two great sisters who have committed to sticking together.

    Merry Christmas to everyone, no matter who you’re with (or whether you’re with anyone).

     
  5. Sarah wayland December 20, 2011 Reply
     
     

    Thanks Jess…Christmas has that great knack of reminding us what we were doing this time last year (or this time 100 years ago) glad you can reframe the sadness to being grateful about siblings. Hope you juggle the trickiness with humour and grace MC to you too.

     

Have Your Say

Get e-mail notifications for new comments

 

You may also like

Left Right

porno porno sex

FEATURED CONTRIBUTORS

Talking About Dementia
Get Started!

Your Score:  

Your Ranking:  

Hoopla Poll

If you are menopausal - what is your menopause treatment approach?

Comments

  • Gracie123: What a dreadful legacy this era of time will leave our children, grandchildren and maybe great-grandchildren. If we con...

    Reply|Read all

  • Maxabella: I just love ya guts (and your beautiful face), Mrs Woog. x

    Reply|Read all

  • aj: every bit helps - and agree - wish I'd stuck my head in a hat and worn more spf+++ THIS is the advice I pass on.....

    Reply|Read all

  • JoanneH: The Fairfax article said Stephen Conroy had “brokered a deal with the television industry to allow betting companies t...

    Reply|Read all

Freebies

Copyright © 2012 The Hoopla

All Rights Reserved

Site by Feel.
loading time: 1.89 sec