Christmas has the power to bring people together, to unite
us around Christmas dinner tables all over
the country, to share love, presents, drinks, mince
pies and all things sparkly and nice.
It has the power to add pressure too. To highlight family
relationships that may not be at their best,
to create tensions, even arguments, to miss people who have passed away, to
worry about people who are unwell, to highlight a sense of aloneness at a time
of togetherness. It has the power to add financial pressures, of
children’s expectations of stockings full, for ‘present buying’ in an age where
everyone must tighten their belts.
Christmas can be hard in other ways too. For a family to get
up on Christmas Day and live through another day when someone very loved and
special is not there, is a hard day. No Christmas card in the post, no text, no
phone call, no knock at the door, no message at all, like all the other
days before it; when a son or daughter, or mum or dad, brother or sister,
grandchild or grandparent is just not there. Some
must endure years of their loved one
not being there, and the torment of
imagining where they might be, yearning to
know if they are alright.
At our Carol Services Trafalgar
Square, Colchester, York, Manchester and Cardiff we remember people who are
missing this Christmas. These are the words I said in the church this week in
London, surrounded by families with lighted candles. I will be lighting a
candle at home this Christmas Day.
The charity is on a journey, with families of missing
people
And for missing people themselves
We walk alongside, if we can
We hear the pain of loss
And the joy of reunions
The despair at the bad news
And the joy of the good news
The waiting, the praying, the hoping, the longed for phone call or knock at the door
And an end to the nightmare
And for missing people themselves
We walk alongside, if we can
We hear the pain of loss
And the joy of reunions
The despair at the bad news
And the joy of the good news
The waiting, the praying, the hoping, the longed for phone call or knock at the door
And an end to the nightmare
We strive to support, to understand and to learn
What helps?
We know that for families, keeping the search alive is vital
To know that everything that could be done is being done
What helps?
We know that for families, keeping the search alive is vital
To know that everything that could be done is being done
We know that it is important to talk
And to remember
So we are all here
Alongside, together
There is time to be quiet and to be still
To let the noise and the hubbub of fade into the background
And to remember
So we are all here
Alongside, together
There is time to be quiet and to be still
To let the noise and the hubbub of fade into the background
We can stop
For a minute
For a moment in time
We can let the noise fade away
We can hope
And believe
Or pray
Or just be
And let nothing get in the way
For a minute
For a moment in time
We can let the noise fade away
We can hope
And believe
Or pray
Or just be
And let nothing get in the way
We can close our eyes
We can see a face
Hear a voice
Feel you close
And so, together
We light a candle
Full of hope
And of life
And belief
We can see a face
Hear a voice
Feel you close
And so, together
We light a candle
Full of hope
And of life
And belief
Message from Jo Youle,
Missing People Chief Executive
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