Merry Christmas

For most of my life today has been my favorite day of the year. It’s a love I inherited from my mom, much to the annoyance of much of the rest of my family and friends.

I think it’s largely because it’s the one day of the year on which we all got together and, perhaps more importantly, we all managed to slow down. There’s no errands, no incessant need to shop or go to a restaurant, just family getting together and, thankfully, mostly getting along.

This year is a bit different. With my mom’s passing last April I’m just not as excited about Christmas this year as I would normally be. I’m still looking forward to spending time with family but it’s going to be different, much different.

That said, for all of you who celebrate the holiday, Merry Christmas.