'Tis The Season
It's December - the time of year when the days are shorter and the nights, longer - at least in the Northern Hemisphere. It is also a time of celebrations, depending on one's faith or religion, as well as where one lives. I've always loved this time of year: the sights and sounds - the spirit - of Christmas. And yet, there's a reflectiveness to the time of year; as the days get shorter, it's almost easier to have the darkness add a certain melancholy-ness, along with reflections. This year, we'll most likely be having a quiet Christmas: good food, some small gifts, and having some family over. Thinking of this, I've been inundated with memories of years past... I wrote about some of these memories in December, 2012 . Those memories are wonderful, for the most part, though many times, the memories are easier than the reality of the time. Example: I was trying to think of the worst Christmas we've had as a family. (Kind-of counter-intuitive, isn't ...