Tis the Season!

Okay, I know it's only October, but the holiday books are on the shelf, and I love the holiday season so much, I always start celebrating early. I love everything about the holidays... except for the cold and when the snow turns black, but let's don't go there.

I went shopping a few days ago and already the mall had decorated with wreaths while workers stayed busy displaying signs. It was so crowded that a few people were short tempered, and that got me thinking.

There are a lot of movies that showcase the desolation that some people experience during the holidays. Because of that, I used to believe that it was an especially difficult time for many.

Then I wrote a novella for a Kensington anthology titled
THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
It featured a jaded cop who was fed up with the holiday hype. Like any good author, I did my research to shore up the hero's beliefs.

Imagine my surprise to find that the holidays actually provide comfort for many, even those in less than ideal situations.

They might not get or give gifts.
They might not have close family or friends to share the festivities.
They aren't always in the best of health.
Their loved ones might have just passed.

But the holidays give people hope.
It gives them something to focus on other than their troubles. Like me, they feel that special something in the air that lightens their worries and highlights their blessings.

Did you know that during the Thanksgiving-to-Christmas season, there are less reports of new depressions?

The American Association of Suicidology has proven that December has the lowest suicide rate of any month of the year.

The National Center for Health Statistics has documented a suicide drop by at least 20 percent during the holidays.

People who can't give with their wallets and don't have extra time to share, donate a special smile or hug. They encourage others. They make a phone call. Send a card. Bake a cookie. Build a happy snowman. Offer to shover a walkway.

The ways that the season brightens our lives can't be measured in consumer sales or commercial advertisements. Whether you decorate every inch of your house until it glows up and down the street, or simply wear an inexpensive pin on your sweater, you contribute to the spirit.

Instead of seeing the money spent and feeling the extra rush to finish, look at how the stores all offer the opportunity for donations.
Read the newspaper with an eye for miracles - they're there, I swear. I find them every year. (I put several in the above-mentioned book, with names and dates changed.)



Watch a few cartoons that focus on the true meaning of the season. My personal favorites are The Grinch Who Stole Christmas and Charlie Brown's Christmas. I swear, when the Grinch's heart grows, I cry. And when Charlie Brown jumps at the sight of his scraggly little tree made beautiful by love, I smile at everyone in the room.


When my husband and I were first married, we decided that we would have Christmas Eve at our house. Now, thirty years later, it's often the only tradition that the rest of our families honor. We have cookies galore - enough for the neighbors and teachers and anyone who doesn't have any place else to be.

Though some can't bring a single gift, no one leaves empty handed.
We usually have over 40 people, and sometimes it's been over 50.
Our dinner is not a sedate affair. People mill in and out of the kitchen filling and refilling their plates, then carrying them to various floors in the house in hopes of finding room to sit, or seeking out a similar age group.

I have so many Christmas CDs that they need their own storage place. My favorites are those by Neil Diamond.

Throughout my 48 years, what I could and couldn't do for the holidays has changed according to our financial situation and the ages of our children. But I've always loved the spirit of Christmas, so the rest is just icing on the cake, whether it cost a small fortune, or no fortune at all.

My favorite gift was a beautiful diamond tennis bracelet that my husband gave me one year. It meant a lot because he picked it out himself, and he looked so happy to give it to me.
My favorite scent is cinnamon.
My favorite relatives are any that are still believers.
My favorite food is pumpkin pie with whipped cream, or butter cookies made from the press in the shape of trees.
I love Neil Diamond's "Little Drummer Boy."
I love snow globes. And musical bells. And I love seeing others smile.

What is your favorite part of the holidays? Your favorite gift, relative, song or food or scent? What's your favorite memory?

Do you like holiday themed books? I LOVE writing them, even if I have to turn them in months before the holidays begin.
I have 3 out this season - a new record for me. One is original, two are reissued.

I hope that you're anticipating the season as much as I am. I hope the spirit is already touching you, and that you find joy in every day.