What Christmas Means to Me

As we approach Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I'd like to share my
thoughts on what this special time of year means to me and also share my
hopes for things people will take away from this magical season.

Christmas is the time we of the Christian faiths ncelebrate the birth of
Jesus Christ, our Saviour. Jesus was God's only son and we need to
celebrate his birth on this special day of Christmas.

Many feel that Christmas is about getting presents, eating good food and all
of that stuff. I enjoy these things, too, but more importantly, this is a
time to be with family and those you love and care about. This year,
fortunately, we wil be able to see most of both sides of our family which
wil be great. I'd still enjoy this time of year if I didn't have the
presents and good eats, as long as I had family to be with.

Christmas is a time to listen to beautiful, reflective music. I'm sitting
here listening to "What a Wonderful Christmas," by Ann Murray. It's one of
my favorite CDs of the season.

As we approach this special time of year, I think back on the past year,
particularly the stinging political debates we've had over various issues.
As we think of peace and joy during this time of the year, I ask that
everyone: politicians, media types and others, be civil with each other.
It's perfectly OK to have differing views on issues. We can voice our
arguments without being uncivil.

One of the phrases we hear at this time of the year is "Peace on earth, good
will to men." I hope we can move toward more peace and good will. As a
line from "Let it Be Christmas" by Alan Jackson goes, "Let anger and fear
and hate disappear, let there be love that lasts through the year.:" Let's
try to move closer to a world like that.

I hope this magical season finds you with those you love and care about. To
our troops stationed far away, I wish you could be at home with your
families. I thank you for your service and wish you god speed and a return
home as soon as possible. To those who will be working on Christmas: police
and fire personnel, perhaps snow plow drivers, taxi drivers and others,
thank you for your sacrifice to be there for all of us.

Merry Christmas to all. Let's keep the good feelings we have at this time
of the year going throughout the year.