I love Christmas! I love the decorations, I love the wrapping paper, the lights, the secret stashing of gifts, the excitement of the children, all the pretty sparkly things. I love seeing my neighbors out putting up their lights and decorations one by one until the whole street is breathtakingly dazzling. I love seeing glimpses through front windows of Christmas trees. I love the secret whispered conspiracies with family members about wonderful surprises sure to delight. I love the sheer abundance of Christmas! I love to watch small children's faces as they hear the Christmas Story. I love the anticipation of my son coming home from college, thinking of the cozy, slippered, soul-nourishing talks till the wee hours. I love the unabashedly idealistic vision of Peace On Earth. And oh how I love the music!

But most of all I love the feelings of thankfulness and gratitude shared by people all over the world, everyone thinking about doing things to make someone else happy, the sweet spirit of giving. I love the little mitzvahs, the deeds done for others just because Love spills out all over. I love being surrounded by my family, even the annoying and just plain nutsy ones and especially the ones we came close to losing last year. Because I realize anew how precious and short our time together really is. And I'm joyously, gloriously, overwhelmingly thankful for another Christmas!