Merry Christmas 2021

Merry Christmas readers! I appreciate the time you have taken to visit the website and read the articles. It is, after all, why I write here.

This year has been, in many ways, a continuation of 2020 with COVID-19 fresh in our minds. Given the pandemic we have seen over the past couple years, we could be thinking we have little to be thankful for – but we would be wrong. Rather than focus on what we don’t have, I suggest we start looking at what we do have. Here are 5 things I’m thankful for this Christmas season.

Mid West sunset

Family

By and large, my family has grown closer and for that I am thankful. As I write this I am in Iowa with my in-laws for an extended stay, our first over the Christmas season. Some might be apprehensive about time spent with extended family but not me. They aren’t invasive or controlling; instead, they just enjoy spending time with us, and for that I am grateful.

My kids also get to spend time with their cousins, run around on the farm, and experience things they otherwise wouldn’t. Couple that with larger family gatherings, good food and great beer (my diet is wrecked – I got to pick back up after the New Years), there is a lot to love about spending time with the family over this Christmas season.

Colder weather

Colder weather allows me to comfortably deep fry turkeys ?

It’s no secret for those who know me: I Hate Summer. Seriously. Normally the Christmas holiday has decent cold weather in Virginia but not always: for example, the extended weather forecast for New Years Eve has a high of 66. In the Mid West where I’m at? A high of 29 with 80% chance of snow. SIGN ME UP.

What’s not to like about drinking coffee and watching the snow fall gracefully? Walking outside, taking a deep breath, and feeling alive? Compare that to breathing in a glass of water in summer (humidity, ugh) where you are in an outdoor shower and it’s easy to understand.

Christmas music

While I can’t do Christmas music all year, I really enjoy it during the specific time of the year. There’s something about it that connects to cold weather and provides me with great comfort. For my part, I enjoy the more classic Christmas songs; O’ Holy Night, Silent Night, It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, etc.

A few of my favorites:

Josh Grobin has a fantastic rendition of O’ Holy Night.

It Came Upon A Midnight Clear by Sixpence None the Richer.

O’ Come O’ Come Emmanuel by David Crowder Band.

Chris Tomlin’s O’ Come All Ye Faithful is great. In fact, he has some great Christmas albums, which you can listen to them here and here.

The above is but a sample – I have a lot of favorites, many of which are various renditions done by different people: Carrie Underwood, Nat King Cole, and Covington to name but a few.

I don’t rock Christmas music throughout the year but from November 1st to sometime in January, it’s game on!

Busch Gardens Christmastown

In Virginia we have a theme park locals love. My favorite time of the year, however, is when Christmastown happens: over 10 million lights, various Christmas shows, rides, and the smell of Christmas trees is everywhere – while it’s cold outside. During much of the year you just sweat walking around but Christmastown combines my love of cold weather with the most beloved time of year – what a great idea!

As I get older, I try and take the time to simply enjoy my surroundings; the rat race is for the youth. I don’t need to adrenaline rush either – and this is what is so endearing about Busch Gardens. The park has great architecture and landscaping for those of us who enjoy it. There are plenty of rides for those who like them, too. It’s a comprehensive experience for the whole family and the colder weather means even more enjoyment!

New year

For some reason, many of us associate the beginning of a new year with a fresh start. There’s nothing special about January 1st as opposed to say December 1st, but psychologically we make the connection nonetheless – and I am no different. The first of the year marks the time when we have the ability to set new goals, to learn from our past and change accordingly. For me, that means setting goals to hopefully achieve but if not, I don’t plan to beat myself over it, either. Setting realistic goals is something all of us should do – and I include myself, here. No one should simply bumble their way through life; instead they should be intentional in much of what they do. And a new year, theoretically or not, gives us the option to start fresh. Let’s get at it!

So there you have it: 5 things I’m thankful for this Christmas. What are YOU thankful for?