Sometimes pictures don’t capture a thousand words. On this occasion, the pictures I took, in fact, did not capture very much of the absolutely incredible atmosphere at all of this evening of Carol Singing and Readings in the Chapel of St Patrick’s College just 15 minutes walk away from our house.

There were four choirs (I hope I didn’t miss any) filling the Chapel with the most beautiful and magic songs, one choir after the other, divided by readings about Christmas. I must say that I was in tears (Oh not again!, I hear you say), but not because I was sad or anything like it. I was in tears because I felt as if all those weights I’m carrying around with me had been lifted. I felt completely relaxed. Physically and mentally. You can’t use a ‘bleeper’ in a Church so I didn’t have a chance to ask Pádraig as it all happened, but I know that he was wide awake and moved and relaxed as I was. After the service, we joined the choirs in the staff room where we got home made biscuits and, of course, minced pies with cream, together with a nice hot cup of tea.

Now, the concert as well as the refreshments afterwards were completely free of charge, nobody was looking for money, not even a ‘voluntary’ donation. This was the essence of what used to be the Christmas spirit.

It was Pádraig’s first ‘late’ evening out and as we were walking back through the dark streets we all felt that we just had spent a night together we’ll remember for a long time to come.

(…)

The time out this evening was the best antidote to what had been an upsetting and not terribly helpful meeting earlier.