It’s that time of year – we hear from dear friends, and reach out to connect once again.

As we come to the end of another year, we have a long list of reasons to celebrate, express gratitude, and embrace all the wonders of the season.

It would not be difficult to enumerate them all for you. Here are a few. Our grandchildren are now approaching adulthood, each with their own story. We have budding musicians, health care professionals, engineers, educators, and athletes – all in the family. They fill these two grandparents with an inexpressible pride and irrepressible hope for a bright future that will unfold well after we’re gone.

And then there’s this: we have a married grandson who tells me that he and his terrific spouse will bring us a great-grandchild next year. My my my. If you missed it, that’ll make me a GREAT-Grandfather. Wow.

Christmas brings us back to the beautiful Nativity Story, celebrated in earnest since our childhood. That music. Those familiar lyrics. But also, it’s the Winter Solstice – the shortest day of the year. The dark comes early. We put out the lights. Decorate the tree. Light the candles. Sit by the fire.

So this Christmas, we put up those Govee lights around the house. Each evening, we choose a different pattern of flashing reds and greens to dance happily around our house, lighting up the dark.

As the lights glow outside, we are thinking of you, our cherished friends and family,