Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

As a child I loved Christmas, some of my fondest memories are from Christmas.

Like the first year we had a real Christmas tree. We always had the same artificial tree growing up but the year my sister had moved away and was coming back mom wanted to make Christmas special. She had always wanted a real tree so we got a small one for the basement.

There’s the memory of every Thanksgiving holiday where Dad and I would put up the lights on the house and how I would leave dad on the ladder and sneak in to warm my hands because it never failed it was always bitter cold that weekend.

Or the time Mom and I were having fun and somehow she ended up falling backward into the aforementioned Christmas tree. We were laughing so hard. Dad came up the stairs, looked at us, looked at the tree, asked “who’s going to clean this up?” to which we again broke out laughing.

Or the Christmas where we were pulling the table apart to put more leaves in it to accommodate company coming the next day and the table leg fell off so Christmas Eve was spent repairing the table.

And, after I got married, Alan and I have started some of our own traditions. We spend Christmas Eve together, just us and the fur kids and then spend Christmas day with other family members.

We each have a stocking, as do each of the fur children (except the cats Chuck and Buddy share one). Usually presents are opened Christmas Eve and stockings are left for Christmas morning.

I will admit, however, that after my parents passed away, Christmas seemed different and some years it has been harder to feel that Christmas spirit and Christmas joy.

Sometimes our life experiences can steal our joy, sometimes it is the feeling of loneliness that makes it hard to feel that joy, sometimes it is the commercialism that drags us down, sometimes it is the fact our schedules get hectic in December that we don’t take time to enjoy the Christmas season.

This year, for me, I think I found it when I began putting up the tree.

I wasn’t even sure I wanted to put up a tree, but something kept nagging at me, (I’m thinking my mother was giving me the look from heaven). I made a conscious effort to get the boxes out. I stared at them for a while before starting what I thought was going to be a chore.

The more I decorated the more the Christmas spirit grew.

I’ve decorated more than I have in several years. I’ve been excited to go Christmas shopping for people, instead of it feeling like a chore.

I’ve listened to Christmas music daily, including watching a Christmas music show. I’ve nearly worn out the DVR recording Christmas movies.

I’m actually looking forward to wrapping Christmas presents even though I’m horrible at wrapping.

I hope wherever Christmas finds you this year that you are able to find some Christmas joy and that you have a very, merry Christmas.

And remember the words of Linus as Charlie Brown sought to find the meaning of Christmas, as he was searching for Christmas joy.

Luke 2:8-14 KJV: “And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.  And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.  And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”