It's a couple of days before Christmas and, like many others, I'm not really feeling it. In a year full of uncertainty and mislaid plans, we're facing one final unknown: who's going to make the gravy?
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Because Uncle Joe (from Paul Kelly's famous song) can't make it this year, although not because he's in gaol.
This year, it's because he lives in Avalon and is under strict lockdown.
Seriously, after all we've been through, now Christmas lunch is under threat.
Today's decision by the State Government is being awaited with bated breath by millions, who are hoping the two kilos of prawns they ordered won't end up going off in the fridge by Saturday.
Yes, last year we dealt with this uncertainty as well, with fires raging all over the place and roads cut off, lunches canceled and more at stake than just prawns in the fridge.
I think it's just that, after the ash-streaked shemozzle of last Christmas, and the still-smouldering dumpster fire of the year we've had, we'd allowed ourselves to hope that this Christmas, surely, we could get together with loved ones and celebrate.
We need a little of that right now. Right?
Well, I think if I've learned anything this year, it's that we can't always get what we want, or feel we need.
And guess what? That's okay.
I don't mean to downplay genuine tragedy and grief - that's a different story. I'm talking about the manageable pain that most of us are in - of distance, of frustration, of plans gone awry.
Take a deep breath. It's okay.
We've (most of us) spent our lives in an era of the most incredible ease of communication and transport, able to see and speak to each other almost whenever we want.
It's worth pointing out that this is remarkable in the history of humankind, and even remarkable today compared to many parts of the world. Having that taken away from us is hard. But we'll survive.
In fact, 'plans gone awry' is pretty Christmassy, in its essence.
Take a look at a nativity scene, if you want proof. An unwed mother gives birth in an animal pen, after travelling into town on a donkey, and a bunch of strangers turn up with all kinds of stories about her newborn.
Talk about out of control.
So Christmas has been a time of uncertainty from the start. Let that be a comfort to you if you have to throw out the smelly prawns later this week.
