jml297

‘Tis the season for goodwill and generosity. Here are some things that have made me feel more joyful over the festive season.

• Smiling at strangers. This isn’t limited to the festive season but there seems to be more random smiling and eye contact around this time of year.
• The rowdy chorus of a clutch of kookaburras chortling away nearby.
• Flower tubs in Katoomba decked out with bright blooms and adorned with tinsel.
• Buskers and brass bands playing Christmas carols.
• Electricity poles entwined with festive decorations.
• A single black cockatoo doing a fly-pass over the highway – usually a good omen for a journey.
• The amazing array of Christmas lights – some people go to great lengths for the visual pleasure of others.
• The proliferation of Santas, both solo and with elf entourages.
• Kids wearing Santa hats and bright t-shirts, full of excitement and expectation.
• People whistling, tunefully or otherwise, to Christmas carols being piped on a seemingly endless loop.
• The bright flare of Christmas bush, blooming at just the right time.
• Amidst the panic of shopping and buying festive food, the feeling that we are all just a little bit nicer to each other than usual.

I hope there are joyful moments in your festive season too.

[Photo: white cockatoo on a branch]