Country Living with Francis Farragher

With the Christmas word not destined to be used for another nine or ten months, and the New Year celebrations out of the way, it’s time for the second half of the alphabetical guide of 2025, as we look forward to the future with the usual mix of hope and trepidation.

M is for trying to Mind my own business and not to get to get too inquisitive about things that have nothing to do with me. ‘Live and let live’ will be the 2025 motto and a little resolution not to rush to any judgments too quickly and especially critical ones.

N is for saying No when there’s only so much any of us can do or achieve in any working day. Often, it’s the simpler and direct option when the workload – whether it be at home, in the office, or the farm – seems to have too long of a list of things to do. Will I stick to that principle . . . well the answer is probably No!

O is for the outdoors and a pledge to make the most of the longer days when they arrive, stretching the legs or taking the odd cycle through the country lanes and byways. Fresh air can often be the best tonic of all . . . and it’s free.

P is for Parents and all the trials and tribulations they go through from the infant years to Santa Claus and then through the teenage phases of growing up. It’s a Passage that has its ups-and-downs but in general the vast, vast majority of the Mammys and Daddys are good people.

Q is for Questioning all the artic loads of material that appear by the second on social media and like scams the basic question must always be asked of: “Is this true.” Make no mistake about it, the internet is brilliant in terms of knowledge and information, but when it’s used as a way of spreading sisinformation, deceit and hatred, then we all have to learn the difference, all over again, between good and bad.

R is for Religion in its purest form when it’s based on being kind and charitable to one and all, with no hidden agendas and no lecturing from the pulpit as in times of old. At times of joy and sadness, like births and deaths, it does provide its own consolations even to old skeptics like myself. Maybe too, it’s a bit of a life assurance job for the next journey.

Pictured: Looking forward. Photo: Erasmus 2025 EU Education Programme.