The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

I’m a total nut for Christmas.

I like glittering lights and the smell of pine trees, the brightly wrapped packages and the songs non-stop on the car radio, especially those sung by Andy Williams and Barbra Streisand. I like the candy aisle in the grocery store crammed with goodies in their special holiday packaging and the shelves of paper, ribbon and ornaments at the local pharmacy.

The ads on television telling me to buy a car with a big red bow on top don’t bother me, though I could never afford a car for Christmas. Maybe I like them because they feature happy people making other people happy while driving around in snowy scenes like those on Hallmark cards.

I still send out Christmas cards, although fewer than in past years and I love getting cards, even e-cards, from friends I haven’t seen in a long time.

I love being in a kitchen perusing recipes and choosing which cookies and candy to make. At these times I always think of my sister, who was taken from us much too soon. Her recipes are some of my favorites and I feel close to her when I’m making her peanut butter fudge and hand-dipped chocolates.

What makes me happiest, though, is shopping for the people in my family. My husband absolutely does not understand this, although my kids do and have reaped the benefits of this little quirk over the years. When we had a menagerie of cats, there would be a small gift from each one, even if it was a pair of socks or a large bar of chocolate. I loved seeing which gift brought the biggest smile.

Yes, I know the meaning of Christmas. I haven’t forgotten why we celebrate it in the first place. Going to church has always been part of our family tradition and not just on Christmas Eve.

But I still love all the trappings of the season.

I told you I was a nut for Christmas

Or maybe—just maybe—I’m Santa!