Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

by Robert Frost, 1923

Whose woods these are I think I know.His house is in the village though;He will not see me stopping hereTo watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queerTo stop without a farmhouse nearBetween the woods and frozen lakeThe darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shakeTo ask if there is some mistake.The only other sound’s the sweepOf easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,But I have promises to keep,And miles to go before I sleep,And miles to go before I sleep.

This is one of my favourite poems, which always reminds me of Christmas. So I hope you don’t mind me sharing it with you. The miles to go before I sleep is about a life unfinished; in my case MS research to be completed.

I studied this poem in high school with a teacher who, in retrospect, was a very inspiring woman. She made me curious about things other than science and encouraged me to look for deeper meanings and hidden gems. She wasn’t focused on outputs, such as exam results, and got joy from hearing about how much we enjoyed reading a particular book. She gave me extra-curricular reading lists, which I devoured during holidays and weekends. One of our set books was The Great Gatsby. We spent a week of lessons with her just studying and debating the final two paragraphs. The haunting beauty of reading Fitzgerald’s prose is nostalgia at its best.

“Gatsby believed in the green light, the orgastic future that year by year recedes before us. It eluded us then, but that’s no matter—tomorrow we will run faster, stretch out our arms farther. . . . And one fine morning——

So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.“

Are these closing paragraphs about hope and resilience or giving up? For me it is about the fight to make a difference, to be heard and to hope for a better future. A future free of multiple sclerosis?

I heard on BBC Radio 4 this morning that more people in Britain will be spending Christmas alone this year than in any year in the past. This surprised me as I thought Christmas 2020 would have been the worst because of lockdown. That is the year I started calling patients of mine who I knew would alone to wish them a merry Christmas. So if you know someone spending Christmas alone, please take some time out to call them and make sure they know that someone cares.

And if you are spending Christmas alone and feel lonely, you can do some things to help yourself. If you are religious, try and get to a Church service in person or one of the TV, radio or online Christmas services. Pick up the phone and call people, such as friends, family, or one of the many charitable organisations that provide telephone companions. Watch Christmas TV. Listen to Christmas carols. Have a Zoom lunch, dinner or drink with someone alone. Connect! If you can practice mindfulness, please do. Get out if you can for exercise and fresh air. Make sure you fill your day with as many activities as you can.

If you have any suggestions for helping people who are socially isolated, lonely and alone this Christmas, please share them with us.

I wish you a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays and thank you for your support.

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Please note that the opinions expressed here are those of Professor Giovannoni and do not necessarily reflect the positions of Queen Mary University of London or Barts Health NHS Trust. The advice is intended as general and should not be interpreted as personal clinical advice. If you have problems, please tell your healthcare professional, who will be able to help you.

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