I love this time of the year. In fact, it’s my favorite time of year. When I was much younger, autumn was a time to go hunting. At that point in my life, hunting was a favorite sport. As a youngster living in Tennessee, Thanksgiving Day was the opening day of rabbit season. We would get our shotguns and our dogs and go rabbit hunting. Afterward we would show up at my grandmother’s house for a Thanksgiving feast that to this day is still one of my favorite memories. All the aunts and uncles, as well as the cousins, were there, and there were many of them. The aunts would bring their best recipes and most of them were desserts. You would have been amazed. Now I am the grandpa and my children and grandchildren show up at my house for our feast. My hope is as they grow older they will have sweet memories like I have.
And so I am thankful today for this time of year. I love the clean briskness of the air. I love the holidays. I have tried to decide what I like best and what I am most thankful for, but there is just so much. I guess mostly I am thankful for good health. I’m thankful for my family. My wife Linda and I just celebrated our 53rd wedding anniversary in early December. I’m thankful for my children and grandchildren. I’m excited to see them grow and prosper. My wife and I can be sure they will have happy, successful lives.
I’m thankful for my friends and the readers of these columns. I’m thankful for the Newsleaders for giving me the opportunity to write columns for publication. I get great comfort from being able to spout off on anything I want. I am so very thankful I live in a country where I can spout off. We should never take this freedom for granted.
We will now begin to prepare for Christmas. In fact, even as I write this column in my office, Linda is busy decorating our house for Christmas. We will have a Christmas tree and Christmas decorations. We will play Christmas music and prepare Christmas goodies. I love the music, the spirit of people, the smells and the sounds of Christmas. I’m sad for the people who don’t celebrate Christmas. As for me and my house, we will and we will never forget why there is a Christmas. I know how commercialized this season has become but I can live with that. In our house, though, we know what Christmas is all about and we celebrate the Man and the event that gives us this wonderful holiday.
Today I wish for you joy and the happiness of this season. I wish for you the peace that attends this time. May your memories be sweet and may you create sweet memories for the ones who follow you. My wish is that the spirit of Christmas would descend onto the whole world. That peace and tolerance could once again prevail. That is our prayer.
I hope your Christmas will be everything you wish for. Happy Holidays and may God bless us all.
