Christmas has always been one of my favorite times of year.  I’m agnostic and not religious, but Christmas has a simple message that I can appreciate.  When it comes down to it, the point of Christmas is peace and goodwill.  How can you go wrong with that?  Yes, it is celebrating the birth of Jesus, but the holiday to me is much less about celebrating the birth of a man than it is about celebrating the simple message the man represented: that we should strive to be good people and care about others. Everyone should be on board with that sentiment.

This season also carries the nostalgia factor for me.  Remember how exciting and magical Christmas was as a child?  Sleepless nights thinking about Santa Claus, wondering whether or not it would snow (it was hit or miss in southeastern PA), listening to holiday music (the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album was a staple in my household).  Family, friends, parties full of cheer and trees decked out with multicolored lights and clever ornaments.

Some of my most vivid memories are waking up early on Christmas morning while it was still dark and tiptoeing downstairs to see if Santa had come. I would gaze upon the glittery array of wrapped mystery boxes, then I’d grab my stocking and wait very impatiently for my parents to get out of bed.

I hope you create some lasting memories yourself this year and for years to come.

Merry Christmas!