We Really Do Need A Little Christmas Right Now

If you follow the news than you know if ever we needed a little Christmas it’s right now.

I sat down last night to watch a nightly newscast and there was no escaping stories of tragedy, death, destruction, despair and of course commercials for an assortment of medical products.  It truly was depressing and while we can’t hide under the covers and ignore what is happening we can try and escape it, if only for a brief period.

Everyone has their own definition of what Christmas is all about and to me it’s not about the day but the season which separates it from other great holidays like Thanksgiving and 4^th of July.  Those are fun-filled days often loaded with tradition but it’s pretty much a one-and-done thing.

For some diehards the Christmas season begins the day after Halloween and while that’s jumping the gun a bit I do understand why.  Regardless of what’s going on we need and deserve some joy in our lives and for many this time of year allows just that.

Many take great pride in the decorating of their homes, both inside and out and while those large inflatables on front lawns are not for me they are indeed festive.

Then there is the Christmas tree and from the time I was growing up it always had to be a real tree, one that offered the smell that indeed let you know it was Christmas.  We purchased, put up and decorated our tree this past weekend but to be honest my wife did most of the decorating.

But what’s really cool is going through ornaments that mark and remind you of different stages in your life, especially when you find those made by your now adult children when they were much younger.  The task of decorating the tree often is like a stroll down memory lane with constant reminders of the past.

For some reason and I don’t know exactly why I’ve grown to like the holiday season even more in recent years.  I’ve watched most of the new movies on the Hallmark Channel. That is channels because there are two to choose from.  I’m even okay with Christmas music because we need a little Christmas right this very moment.

What we don’t need is Dominick the Donkey and that depressing song about the Christmas shoes.