Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.”

― Kate DiCamillo, The Tale of Despereaux

Welcome to 40 Days of Light. Over the next 40 days I’m aiming to wander through Christmas, into New Year and just a little beyond with grace, spirit, love and light in my heart. I’m aiming to live Christmas in a way that lifts my spirit (and yours, too) and leaves me, not exhausted and weary with more stuff than ever to corral and a heart bitter from a world that lacks peace, but calm, restored, and ready to face a world that I think we can agree needs more light, more love, more grace and more peace.

Everyday I aim to give you a little pause through a picture, a small paragraph of writing, perhaps a poem, song or video clip. There may be book suggestions, recipes, or may simply just be the quote and the picture to meditate on. Nothing complicated for either me or you, nothing that demands or asks or cajoles. Just a breather in a busy life.

You may, perhaps, choose to subscribe via email (the box is to the right, at the bottom of the widgets) and then the posts will be delivered seemlessly to your inbox everyday. If you’re like me, sometimes the inbox is the only tech place you touch in a day. Also, the host of my blogpages seems to have changed so even if you have subscribed in the past, it may be worth checking to make sure you’re still on the list!

On to today’s quote:

Stories are Light. I strongly believe that the stories we tell ourselves and others can be light and illumination in a dark world. (the opposite is, of course, also true: stories, told badly or used wrongly, can also drive us into darkness).

I’ve used the word ‘curation’ about my reading during hibernation for the past few years. I carefully select my books and media input to boost my mental wellbeing and to create a life of hope, of light. I don’t mean that the books or stories I read are always happy, bright and cheerful, but that they have impact, that they teach me lessons I need to learn, that they provide role models, inspiration and, yes, that they take me away to places I need to be whether that’s a mythical land, a historical period or the snowflake-draped, marshmallow comfort of a Christmas Chick-lit.

I’m still reading my way through Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place. Topical reading, really, given the current world we’re in. I have recently finished Tackle by Jilly Cooper which was high camp comedy and romance. And for Winter I’m hoping to read The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern. I think the book needs time, investment and reflection to appreciate the strands of plot and prose woven together. It’s all about books and stories. How can I resist?

My husband resists any fantasy. Dragons, dwarves, elves, mythical forests. He turns away from them all. I’ve tried explaining that the unreality of the books is what makes them a good read to me: they place me in situations I would never, naturally, stand in. They force me to confront the ultimate questions like; how ruthless do I think I would be? How compassionate am I in suffering? Would I like a mind-reading dragon? (that’s the easy one: the answer is yes. Yes I would). He resisted Game of Thrones for years, until we sat him down during Lockdown and said view it not so much as a fantasy fairytale, but a chronicle of civil wars in any country (just this one has dragons). That worked for him.

So, roll on the Winter. I’m happy enough, with a pile of books ready and a new biscuit tin for mini gingerbread men by my side. Light a candle, stoke up the fire, snuggle under the blanket and go far away. Stories are light. And light is precious in a dark world.

How to Hygge the British Way is my gift to the world. I don’t get paid for writing it, I’m not in it for the kudos, financial rewards, to become an influencer, work with brands or otherwise make any money from the blog. That’s why there are no ads, and any products I mention and recommend have either been gifted to me or bought by me with my everyday wages or donations from supporters. Every book I review has been bought and read by me, unless stated otherwise.

I do get a couple of pennies each time someone buys from the Amazon links on my page, as an Amazon Affiliate, but otherwise if you’d like to support me, I like to give something back in return. That’s why I write books. It always feels good if you get a book back in return for some money. You can find a full list of my books at my Author’s Page on Amazon, but especially recommended for this time of year are:

Cosy Happy Hygge: Setting up a rhythm to life and rituals to enjoy it to make for a more balanced life that handles waves and storms better. Lent is a season of rituals and resets. The book has small and easy ways to make your life flow with grace and happiness, which lead to more hygge.

Happier: Probably my most personal book, it’s the story of how I used hygge and the little things in life to help boost my happiness. I still go back and reread to remind myself what I need to do to be a happy human. And it’s always the little things.

My Christmas books are always available: Have Yourself a Happy Hygge Christmas is a good place to start, on how to make the season cosier, happier. Celebrating a Contagious Christmas was written during covid year, but has useful advice on celebrating when times are hard anyway and Enjoying a Self-Care Christmas is a short e-book on keeping Christmas simpler, easier and better for you, your waistline and your budget. It even includes 25+ suggestions for self-care activities over Christmas, as simple as sipping tea, keeping a list journal or lighting a candle. Bigger is not always better for Christmas.

I’m currently working on two book projects: I have a hankering to rewrite 50 Ways to Hygge the British Way, so it’s not available at the moment, but even dearer to my heart and my next stated aim is to finish and publish my next book, Simple Plus Cosy = Hygge. It will be about homemaking and how the home we create shapes the hygge we have. Hopefully it will be finished by the end of spring/summer.

If you’d like to support me, but don’t want to buy a book, I have a Paypal.Me account as Hygge Jem. Every little helps, so even a few pence goes towards the books, goods and courses I use and recommend on the site. I’m grateful for every little bit that brings me closer to my dream of full-time writing, and I know I couldn’t still be writing if it weren’t for the support of many readers and friends out there. Thank you all for every little bit of support, emotional, physical and financial, you give me.

If you’ve enjoyed this article, don’t forget to share it or save it so others can enjoy reading, thinking about and living hygge as well.

The photo between post and promotions is by Laura Nyhuis on Unsplash. I’m using it from now until January as a real reminder of the power of light. I loved the simplicity of the shot, the focus on the one candle, the reminder that there are many lights out there if we open our hearts to them and the combination of candle and nature in creating a cosy Christmas.