Joy to the World, without calories

‘Tis the season of family and joy. Also, it’s the season of fudge, eggnog, cookies, candy canes, cakes, and all sorts of confectionary temptation.

Last Monday, I enjoyed a wonderful tradition. I took my parents out driving and we spent hours looking at the Christmas lights. Besides going among the neighborhoods, we also went to Grace Baptist church. They have a remarkable display of a million lights. They coordinate the lights with music and animation, providing a glorious holiday presentation. I didn’t realize that it was setup as a walk-through presentation. With Dad not able to walk, I was afraid we wouldn’t be able to enjoy it, but the people at Grace Baptist had setup a handicapped area where we could park and watch most the display. Thank you, Grace Baptist, for adding to our Christmas joy.

Driving and seeing the lights is one of my earliest Christmas memories. This was something my grandmother Yost especially loved. No matter how frail grandma got, she loved doing the annual drive around. As a child, I had often sat on Grandma’s lap in the back seat and just felt her love of seeing all the lights and appreciating the great effort that people put into bringing light and joy to the season. Now, it’s my parents who are frail and I’m the one doing the driving. So glad to continue the tradition.

After viewing the lights, we’d always go home and have cookies and hot chocolate. This year, I had tea while everyone else enjoyed the cookies. You know, it didn’t spoil the tradition a bit. And it didn’t spoil my long-term goals.