I Wish You A Merry Christmas . . .

I wish you a Merry Christmas!

I wish you a Merry Christmas!

I wish you a Merry Christmas . . .

and a Happy New Year!

Yes! Tis the season to be jolly, when the jingle bells jingle (well, in a few places where we don't need life rafts to save us from the constant heavy rains and flash floods or storm cellars for refuge from the major storm and tornado activity).

I hope you, who observe and celebrate the Christmas holiday, had yourselves a merry little Christmas, despite the unusual weather. And for those who celebrate Hanukkah (already passed, this year) or some other religious or seasonal holiday during this time, I hope you've also had a wonderful, fulfilling time with family and friends.

I, for one, don't do that much celebrating during this time of the year any longer, at least not on a formal basis. Last year was a momentous year for me because I celebrated Christmas in Clovis, California. For the first time in 25 years my son, his mother (my first wife) and my former mother-in-law and brother-in-law and family were all together for Christmas. This year, my friend here in WV and I went and visited one of my sisters in Strasburg, Virginia and my friend's son who is in Martinsburg, WV for a temporary period. So, through all the heavy rain and dismal weather, we attempted to bring a bit of “sunshine” into a couple other people's lives.

I have often jokingly suggested that I'm the original Grinch who stole Christmas. That's because my favorite part of this holiday season is when it's over and we all get back to our, somewhat, normal lives. But, it does bring me pleasure to see other people spend time with family and friends, share warm hugs and laughter and exchange gifts of love. While it's the end of one year, it's also a time for renewal of spirit and love.

The great thing is we can all freely choose how we want to observe and celebrate (or not) this holiday time. I've celebrated seven decades of this holiday season. I choose to downplay it and stay low key, biding my time until the holiday becomes past tense. But, I rejoice for those who celebrate it in a bigger or very big way. Whatever you believe and however you observe and celebrate, I support you 100%.

I also wish you a happy, healthy, abundant new year in 2016 with lots of joy, love, pleasure, adventure and excitement. Live life to the fullest. It is the greatest gift of all and you only get one time to go around. No dress rehearsals. No do-overs. Just the here and now. The present is our present.

Life free and be happy. EH