This Christmas

Each year, one of the houses on my way home from work becomes a veritable smorgasboard of Christmas light merriment.  There are Santas, bears, Nativity scenes, a dragon, a ship...and more.  And all of this is set to music.  Pull up in front of the house and roll down the window and Christmas Carols fill the air.

Every year before this one, I couldn't believe that someone would put all of this in one yard.  Don't get me wrong, it's still a lot more decoration than I would choose for my yard.  But it's not my yard.

I will be quite honest.  When I first planned this post, it had a different feel to it.  It was still my Scrooge-y thinking.  I started out thinking that there was no reason for a person to have that much stuff.

As the days of Advent passed and our family was drawn more and more into the anticipation and true feeling around the season, I really began to see why people love this time of year.   The fun, the wonderment, the all-around good feelings that seem to be sizzling in the air around us all.   There is so much to be learned and gained from this time of year.  I watched the pure child excitement from my son and have been completely caught up in it with him.

And that includes the lights.  I have begun to look at them in a different light.  Yes, there might be more than I would put in my yard.  But, what if the people who live in the house are simply trying to share the joy they feel during the Christmas season with others?  The display has grown over the years, and I would like to think it is because the joy of the season has grown in the hearts of those who own the house.

This Christmas has been about renewed hope, new traditions, and a new outlook on many of the aspects of our family life.

And while Christmas is still not my favorite holiday (St. Patrick's Day still winning top honors), it is certainly mow running a close second.