Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Season’s Greetings — pick the message you prefer to receive and you will have my best wishes.
Very soon, the fat guy in the red suit will be making his rounds. The youngsters went to bed very excited, anxious to find out what’s in all the packages under the tree. Mom and Dad are hoping the kids will sleep in since they had to stay up late helping Santa.
I can recall from my childhood that Santa actually came to my home. My sisters and I were the luckiest kids in the neighborhood because our Uncle really was Santa. He worked at a big department store, Demry’s, as Mr. Clause. After his duties concluded at the store, he would always drop by to visit much to our delight.
Looking back at years past, memories come alive of my children’s and grandchildren’s joy on Christmas morning as they saw a fresh snowfall. They knew this meant Santa had smooth sledding to arrive with their gifts. Not this year. The kids will have to wait until next year to enjoy that experience and tales will be told about just how Santa managed to ride his sleigh.
The odd weather patterns this year are nationwide. In our area (down south), I guess it’s unusual to see anyone wrapped up in a warm coat with scarf and gloves. Across the country in western states snow is piled high, everyone is skiing and temperatures are very cold. Southern states have received heavy rains causing mud slides and flooding.
Mother Nature seems to have gone awry, getting the areas of our country all mixed up. I heard a report from Arizona a few days ago that nighttime temperatures had dropped to 20 degrees in the valley, not up in the mountains.
So when you hear the phrase; “Better watch out,” it could refer to the very unusual weather we are all experiencing.
I really have no idea when you may be reading my column, maybe after all the festivities are over. I sure hope everyone in the Thumb enjoys their holiday. If you’ve not yet opened your gifts, may your wishes be granted. If you received items you already have, consider sharing them with others who may really need them. Re-gifting can be fun, or just stopping by the donation sites with brand new items is a good feeling.
After all the mess of the gifts is cleaned up, Christmas day really gets going with one of my favorites — the food!
Really great snacks for a few hours followed by a big dinner. Perhaps you know a less fortunate friend or neighbor who is alone that you could invite over. There is always plenty of food leftover. If you know someone who may not want to join you but would enjoy a great meal, take a plate over to them.
As I see it; “Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas, let yourself be light … faithful friends who are dear to us, gather near to us once more.”
Let’s all remember that Christmas is a celebration of faith, take time out to be thankful for all your blessings.