Di, this probably won't help you at all, but when someone gets onto the pity train because I don't have children, I just pipe up cheerfully, "No, but I have a lot of cactus!" Boy, does that shut them up in a hurry!

Decorate, decorate, and decorate! It's YOUR home, and if lack of decorations make it feel less like Christmas, then decorate to the rafters!

For most of my life I ignored Christmas because it's not my religion, but for the past few years I've "adopted" poor families or children and bought them gifts, because I know how much the holiday means to them. You can "adopt" a poor family, a child with no family, seniors whose families don't visit, or someone in a hospital or nursing home. You can buy them gifts or bake cookies or visit them. They will not care about your gray hair. They will just be so happy that you thought of them for the holidays.