Christmas Lights.

I love Christmas lights. I love driving around the neighborhoods and seeing homes colorfully decorated with lots of reds and greens and whites, some twinkling, some not. I enjoy dangling off my ladder and hanging my own lights. I like my kids’ excitement about Christmas lights. Each year, my family takes a drive around town to look at the lights. It is one of my favorite hours of the year. My daughter has already asked me when we’re going on our drive. I think a lot of people take this drive and it’s a good trip every year.
An incident occurred this morning that further inspired my holiday spirit. While doing a little Christmas shopping with my wife, I was standing in the toy section browsing some potential gift ideas and overheard a conversation between a fellow Dad and his wife. They were discussing presents and he was very animated and excited about this. He stood in the aisle with his phone and danced in anticipation of his kid’s joy over some cool gifts. I was excited with him, because I understood.
As I looked around the store, I saw a lot of happy people. I hate just about any type of shopping, but I especially hate crowded shopping. I will go to great lengths to avoid this nightmare. Somehow, today was different. As I watched people thinking and buying and caring for the people they thought and cared about, the spirit infected me and it was great. Witnessing so many other folks infected was contagious. It occurred to me that this infection is really what the “holiday magic” is all about. Thinking and caring about the people that matter to us IS the magic. Taking the time to step outside of ourselves and consider appropriate gifts for the people we love feels good and feeling good is great every time.
In lives often consumed by our own needs and worries, it is nice to get beyond them and into something maybe a little more important. This feeling is the best part of the season and it is better that it is shared by so many. Joy is always better shared and this time of year, like no other, has the power to really crank it up and that’s what makes it special.
So this year, I will enjoy the shopping and the crowds and the lights. I will drive with my family through the neighborhoods and look at the sparkling decorations and we will be happy together. I will live this season and understand that this time, like all of life, will be too brief. But, I will not lament its passing…I will just leave my Christmas lights up a little longer. No problem.