Wishing you and yours a very merry Xmas and all the very best for 2021!

“Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now TOYL away! TOYL away! TOYL away all!”

Hopefully this will be the one and only Covid Christmas! There are now vaccines being given and the lockdowns, quarantines and social distancing have had some, albeit less than desired effects on bringing the number of infections down and together with improved outcomes now that we know better how to manage those critically ill with Covid-19, fewer deaths. However we are seeing cases where survivors are not fully recovering, the so called Long Covid where symptoms persist long after the virus itself has been neutralised. Let us in the northern hemisphere use these next few months of winter to hunker down and keep safe. It would be a great shame if we relaxed our collective guards and spread more unnecessary morbidity and mortality when victory is so relatively close. Isn’t it best that we are extra careful this festive season so that we can be sure of having a few more? Christmas 2021 – that’s going to be some party!

According to the Washington Post, Canada’s seven-day rolling average of new confirmed infections after their Thanksgiving celebrations, a month or so before the US’s Thanksgiving, reached close to 45% higher than in late October and up 22% compared to the week before. In the UK the government is relaxing the Lockdown rules for 5 days and then the population will enter a period of rules determined by which ‘tier’ each geographical region is in and different rules and even the number of tiers will differ in each of the 4 nations that make up the UK. Some scientists, however, have strongly recommended against families meeting indoors during the winter. At least two advisors to the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) believe that the relaxation will overrun hospitals such as UK’s National Health Service (NHS) in the new year. It seems possible and perhaps likely there will be a ‘third wave’ as we bring in the new year, but we seem to be incapable of learning from other’s nations mistakes so unless we the people take extra care and you can’t be too careful, we are likely to fall foul to extra misery just when we should be celebrating the beginning of the end of the Coronavirus pandemic!

OK Santa, off you go and take Corona with you! (Actually the North Pole is one of very few places on the planet without it (yet)!!!

(PS. These aren’t Christmas baubles!)

So onwards to TOYL after the TOIL!

Retirement can be the fulfilment of a dream or a living nightmare for some. It’s NOT usually about the money but likely relationships or rather the lack of them. Leaving work and the companionship and camaraderie, even if it was seemingly always a moan about the boss or the working environment can be a loss. Likely all your previous co-workers are jealous and assume you are living the life of Riley, however if this isn’t the case maybe Xmas is a good time to reconnect? Patch Adams once told me “Reach out and you’ll never be lonely!” and it’s very true and has served me well over the years although often at the time it can feel like a bit of a ‘stretch’ to cold-call old friends or colleagues for ‘no reason’ after all this time! Xmas gives us that opportunity – “Hi, I thought I’d ring to wish you festive greetings and see how you all are – how about meeting up one evening – busy? – How about we put a date in the diary for the New Year..??” – You’ll be pleasantly surprised about how good it makes them feel to have been thought about positively and more likely than not you’ll have a mini-reunion on your hands!

If retirement is working out well for you, share the news – pass on the tips for a happy transition from TOIL to TOYL, if not reach out and reconnect with those you have lost touch with. Social Media for all it’s faults and negatives can be useful. It’s relatively easy to track people down these days and reconnect. When I was organising my 60^th birthday supper I remembered on old mate I’d had vague connection with on Facebook and invited him along – we reconnected with another school friend who like me hadn’t seen him in almost 40 years!