It was not to the silent patter of giant snowflakes in a hushed world that I awoke this morning, but rather to the distant gurgle of rain trickling down the drain. Outside the air had been washed clean and had a delicious tang to it. What a joy to be alive! It’s Christmas. A day for sharing love and goodwill. But also a day when many, for whatever reason, feel bereft and un-befriended. For them, this is the darkest time of the year. A smile, a helping hand or a kind word could bring a little light in their darkness. We might be at the shortest days of the year, at least in the North, but longer days and light and warmth are on their way.