Wonderful Season: 2004

It has been a wonderful season of Christmas this year. We more than doubled what we were involved with last year. Slowly but surely the list of things that I said I would never do shortens and all but disappears. And I had fun doing them, much to my astonishment. It is a wish that every face observed in all its wonderment could be remembered, but they tend to run together until many families become just one--the family of mankind. Sometimes, since the season began, while traveling around, a face looks familiar and one wonders if it was part of the magic. Sometimes someone looks at us as if thinking the same thing. Both of us have had haircuts now. I got a perm. Mick dyed his hair light brown until things grow back naturally. We still get feedback and that is fun. People tell us often that we added to their Christmas Spirit. That is always well received--especially when it has a spiritual side to it. It is strange to drive down the road and not be on the lookout for those who have spotted Mr. and Mrs. Santa. There is a nautural reaction to be alert so as not to disappoint anyone. We are just regular people now and can go anywhere without much notice. It gives us time to reflect on the center of Christmas--the Savior--and not the myths and legends of the season, which are fun, but are not what Christmas is all about. So we think about Jesus and his mother and Joseph. We picture a stable, a star and shepherds and the wisemen. It is so sad to see the trend of leaving out this core part of Christmas. We made a point of saying "Merry Christmas" in our greetings instead of the "Happy Holiday" that was being pushed to leave Jesus out. "Merry Christmas to you all and Happy Birthday, Jesus."

Mrs. Claus signing out for another year