THE end of the year is in sight – after the festivities of Christmas, of course.

I am absolutely not wishing the forthcoming wonderful few days away but I am grateful for both an approaching chance of a rest and an opportunity to metaphorically put something unpleasant to bed, to turn the page and to start something afresh as I currently feel like one of those drum-beating rabbits in the famous ad – one of the ones which is running out of batteries and is slowly but surely grinding to a halt.

Roll on the possibilities of a new year. Honestly, we are coming to the end of a rubbish few months. Thus, we are looking forward to 2015 and all that it might bring.

2014 contained a few major dramas to deal with, but we have also been ground down by lots and lots of tiny little things which have needed attention.

I have ruefully nodded in agreement each time I have passed the postcard in a frame on a wall in our house which contains the famous statement usually attributed to Chekov – “Any idiot can face a crisis; it’s this day-to-day living that wears you out.”

For whatever reason, I seem to have exhausted my resources but, thank heaven, I will soon be able to recharge myself in my home environment on familiar turf.

My mother will have put a hot water bottle in the bed with my Christmas pyjamas wrapped around it and my dad will delight in feeding us throughout the period we’re with him.

He’ll constantly pop his head around the door asking if we’d like a cup of tea or coffee, and will be forever spoiling his granddaughter by popping back from the shops with a magazine or little surprise treat.

There won’t the 6.30am alarm, or any deadlines, or any domestic drudgery to fit in around the rest of the madness. Of course I will help mum and dad with the chores, but they won’t feel like a slog at all.

One of the things I continually remind myself to feel fortunate about is the fact that I still have both my parents in my life. Despite my age, I therefore benefit from being ‘looked after’ a little by the two people whose responsibility it has always been and am able to get myself back on track in this way.

A few of my friends have lost their parents, or are currently experiencing horrible times re their mum or dad’s health, which must be very tough.

Personally, I have experienced the emergence of an evolved gratitude since I have been a parent myself and realised how much selfless hard work parenthood sometimes is.

You definitely see a few things from a position which bears comparison with their point of view when they were raising you.

Let me take this opportunity to wish you a Merry Christmas.

See you on the other side in 2015!