As the world bustled in preparation for the warm conviviality of Christmas Eve, I quite literally headed into a bout of migraine. Before the familiar dizziness, pain and nausea managed to settle in, I had enough time to obsess and panic over my ruined plans. It’s not fair, is it – planning for months a trip home for a family reunion only to end up curled up in bed, and not in a nice way.

Because, I have often thought, if I were able to read while shouldering a migraine, it would be a bit like vacation, right? Too much to ask for, I guess.

In the end it was not the Christmas tree, the food, the Christmas-themed coffee mugs, or the Christmas-themed candle holders that mattered. It was not the coziness of a December evening, either, not with me having little idea of what time of day it was.

Christmas is about taking a break from the world. It is the one time of year when staying in IS the party, not the other way around. It’s the most introverted celebration of them all. And that suits me fine. Delightful moments for me usually mean a good book, a good movie or some nice company. Or any of these in a combination.

And at least one of these holds even in the case of bad migraine.

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Keep warm together : )