“Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane snow is glistening. A beautiful sight, we're happy tonight. Walkin' in a winter wonderland!”

As the year winds down and we find ourselves wrapped up in the Christmas spirit and looking forward to ringing in the new year, it’s a race to finish everything on our lists - trim the tree, hang the lights, bake the cookies, wrap the gifts! Regardless of the length of your list though, remember to slow down and enjoy the season.

Although I’ve been through 30 some-odd Christmases, I’ve only been through three with my son. At a few months shy of four-years-old, my son allows me to relive the magic of Christmas that can so easily get lost in the endless list of Christmas to-dos. Does my Christmas tree look as perfect as it did pre-kid? No. But it does look like a boy and his mom had an excellent time hanging all of the ornaments, eating candy canes, and willy-nilly throwing tinsel on its branches. Are my Christmas cookies perfectly iced and decorated. No. But they were baked with the memory of my grandma who passed earlier this year whispering in my ear and the giggles of my son making a mess of the red and green sugar and licking frosting from his fingers. It’s December 21st - are all of my gifts wrapped? Nope! But, I’ve spent my evenings watching Christmas movies with my son, drinking hot cocoa from our Christmas mugs and talking about Santa Claus, and we’ve spent our weekends at a Winter Wonderland, checking out a Reindeer Flight School, and enjoying all the light shows area businesses and communities have put so much effort in to.

We only have so many years to enjoy the magic of Christmas. So, me? I’m going to soak it all in. What memories have you made this season? What is your favorite holiday tradition? What have you taken some time to enjoy?

Before the start of the new year, I encourage you to do something magical. Take a look at your bucket list and cross something off. And think about all the things you have done in the past year and enjoy a sense of accomplishment. Most importantly, know that every year is a gift and make 2022 your best year yet.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!