While a great deal of the United States is experiencing icebox temperatures, snow, and ice, Florida can’t make up its mind how it feels about December. A cold front passed through and dropped the temperature into the 50’s, but a few scant days later and we’re looking at the high 80’s. Warm for even the sunshine state, so if you need hot chocolate, a roaring fire, and falling snow to make it feel like Christmas you need to be somewhere else but here.
I’ve heard it said, “It doesn’t feel like Christmas!” What does Christmas feel like? I’ve spent Christmas in Indiana, Arizona, Wyoming, California, Colorado, and Florida. The view outside the window in each of those places during the month of December are vastly different from one another, but in each one I have “felt” Christmas. Half of the world celebrates Christmas in summer! Now that’s weird! Whether colored lights adorn pine trees, palm trees, or cactus; whether you have to bundle up with hats and mittens, a light sweater, or a t-shirt will do, Christmas is everywhere, because Christmas isn’t what you feel outside. It’s what you feel inside. 
Christmas lights, colored or simply white, whatever they adorn, make me feel happy. I’ve never known anyone who can resist singing along with Christmas songs, and if they can, I don’t care to know them. I drink peppermint mocha even if I’m not cold, because peppermint mocha just tastes like Christmas.
December can be a hard time of year for a lot of people. Finances, grief, and distance from family can be heavy burdens that are suddenly heavier as we near Christmas. I remember the year my son was living in Maui. I refused to listen to “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” Not only was he not home, he was alone! Not every Christmas is perfect, not every Christmas is happy, but in every Christmas there is magic!
Close your eyes and listen to the music. Open your eyes and see the lights. Reach out to your neighbors, your friends, your family, a stranger…offer a smile, a handshake, a hug. Suddenly it feels like Christmas!
All true, and well said. 🙂 Sometimes I think we search too hard to find the feeling when it’s right there all along.
Agreed! Wishes for lots of Christmas spirit in your family this year.