Hello and welcome to another episode of iWay with Jameena Jamil. I hope you're well. I always do.

I do in particular now and I know I keep bringing this up online and probably on this podcast.

I speak so much and I never remember where I said what. Just a very chatty Kathy. But as Christmas

comes closer, I am thinking of you all the time, all day, every day because I know that this is

such a weird time and it's a time of supreme loneliness and where we've been so conditioned by capitalism.

And I know it's annoying to talk about capitalism at Christmas and all the days. But I'm going to be that bitch.

It is we have been programmed to believe that this has to be a time of great love and joy and parties

and mince pie and tinsel and fabulous and wonderful memories that we will carry forever.

It's supposed to just be like a fucking montage, a sappy montage of a great Christmas movie that

Diane Keaton is in. But it's often not in or outside of a pandemic. Christmas is normally shit for me.

Anyway, I spent most Christmases completely on my own, not with anyone. Or sometimes I've made

the much better decision to just go on my own and work in a shelter which many people can't do because

of COVID this year. But I hope we find some ways to support others. But I, you know, I'm not very

good at being jolly, you know, and I haven't always been close to my family or sometimes close to

friends. And so, so if you're feeling especially lonely right now, I guess I just want to reassure you

and let you know that this time is going to pass. I know it's been such a long year and so it

doesn't feel that way. But vaccines are coming and we're having some more responsible people in power

who are being more responsible with their power. And I feel as though we are coming out of this

after this next brutal season, it's going to be one more season of absolute bullshit. And we're

going to get through this together. So if you are struggling right now, I'm just begging, I'm begging you to hang on.

I'm begging you to remember that this is going to pass. I'm begging you to remember that very few people

ever have a happy Christmas and that it's okay if you don't and you're not alone in that experience,

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