I don’t want to get all sentimental here, but Christmas is one of the times when I’m most grateful for having Celtic in my life. This club is special. This club was set up for charitable purposes, and it continues those to this day, making lives better, fuller, richer … and at this time of year that is as important as anything we do on the pitch.
But Christmas is also about Family, and this Family of ours, this great big global family, has helped sustain me through a lot of difficult times and I know that it’s the same for many of you. Without this family I wouldn’t do what I do.
The support, encouragement and yes, even the criticism, keep me going on a lot of days when I might otherwise opt to stay in bed.
There are those who decry the idea of the Celtic Family, claiming it doesn’t exist, that it’s a marketing ploy; look at your friends lists and ponder as to whether that’s true. Many of the names on mine I’ve never met in my life. We’ve been brought together by a common love, a common cause, and I have messages from loads of them today wishing me and mine well … all of you could tell similar stories. This club is a unifying thing. It is a source of strength.
All across the country today are people in hardship, spending Xmas on their own, people in workplaces whilst the rest of us relax and unwind. For those people, Celtic is more than just a football club, it is a sustaining life-force. We’re brought together here on social media sites like Twitter and Facebook but that’s just the medium; we could as easily have gotten to know one another on CQN, or on the Kerrydale forums or on any one of the loads of other sites out there.
What’s important is this Family, and how it enhances all of our lives. Christmas offers especially potent examples of why that matters, why it is so strong, why it is so important to us. From the little digital Christmas cards that people send to you to the messages on individual pages and in Groups, we’re all part of the same thing, all connected.
How does that song go? You’ll Never Walk Alone.
And we never do. Because we’re a Family, because we share that common love, that common cause. So no matter what you’re doing today, no matter where you are, no matter how you’re spending this one, you should know that there are loads of us out there thinking of you and wishing you well even if we’re not sitting in the room with you or sharing Christmas dinner across the table … you are part of this, as we all are, and that means we’re part of you.
This is a day not only for enjoying what we have but for thinking of those who have lost something or don’t have much … if you know someone like that today drop them a line and tell them you care. That’s what it’s all about. Those connections matter.
On a lighter note, it’s quiz time again! This time I’m not putting the answers on the next page; test yourself, and test those in your circle. See who gets the highest score. Obviously, I am going to make this one a little bit easier … so whilst I’ll start with some questions about Christmas games I ditched that quickly for more amusing stuff … the quiz basically turns into one on the Celtic Christmas videos of the last few years, which I spent a pleasurable hour or so watching yesterday one after the other to do the research for these questions.
I hope you all enjoy it; it’ll be up until New Year and then I’ll bang up the biggest one yet, the Quiz of 2019, one of the longest years I can ever remember as a Celtic fan. The next week will tell the tale of how it ends … but I expect it to be a triumph.
All the best to all of you and yours this Christmas Day guys and gals … this time of year really does bring it all home to you, and reminds you of the important things. Family and friends above all. Some of you are one or the other, many of you I consider both.
Love and respect to every one of you.
YNWA.
Our Christmas Quiz is available below … enjoy it folks.