How is this jolliest of holidays treating you this year? I hope it’s full of joy and the frantic hustle and bustle that punctuates the season. As the shortest day of the year quickly approaches here in central Ohio, we’ve yet to see much snow.
There’s been a couple frigid nights followed by a morning lightly dusted with the white stuff, but no significant accumulation. I have my fingers crossed for a white Christmas. I’m all about a good heavy snow by New years Eve, but by February I’ll be longing for longer, warmer days of Spring. For now, I’m not wishing the winter weather away. On the contrary. I’m here for it!
Thanksgiving was good to us. My brother’s family comes in and spends the long weekend while we eat too much, watch football, and catch up. It’s a blessing to reconnect with the one you've known forever, and one who knows you well. We inevitably remember who we’ve lost in life, and are reminded to be thankful for who we have. That time brings the nostalgia, but in my opinion it doesn’t have anything on Christmas.
A lot of folks get pretty down during this time of year, and I understand. Old, significant Christmas memories include souls who mean the world to you, and many have gone. And a lot of those memories were recorded through a child’s eyes and ears, so they’re precious and irreplaceable. I definitely get misty at this time in quiet moments reflecting on Christmases past. And like a heavy snowfall, I’m here for that too. A little nostalgic pang in the heart is comforting to me somehow. I feel a little closer to them.
But it’s a magical time thanks to the child’s recollection of Christmas past too. Anticipation for what will be under the tree in the morning. The lessons in church about the reason for the season. The carols you know by heart. And then, there’s the chance to do it again with your kids. Christmas 2.0! Laura and I brought some traditions from our childhood, and new ones cropped up too. I loved being the perpetrator in the reverse robbery that occurred on Christmas Eve! When a fat man in a red suit slips in the house through the chimney, tracking in soot from the fireplace, and leaving presents under the tree and crumbs on a plate. The kids give you a new version of the magic, and it’s precious.
So here’s to wishing you a very merry Christmas, and a happy new year! Thanks for all of your business and correspondence throughout another year.
And to all a good night,
Dan