The rituals of the Christmas season inspire dueling senses of comfort and excitement in me, and I never get weary of pulling the same dusty boxes of ornaments and lights out of the attic on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, our early Thanksgiving holiday gave us a week’s reprieve from our hasty holiday bedecking of the halls, for which we are all truly grateful. Despite the work, though, I imagine that seeing the tree go up in the lobby and the lights hung around the building will bring back that same sense of comfort and excitement in me. We at Homewoods have always done Christmas in a grand style, and for those who delight in the splendors of the season, our calendar is sure to keep you busy this month.
From the time we are very young we are led to expect that the holidays will be a magical time to be spent with loved ones, but they can also be a painful and isolating time if reality differs from those expectations. For some, the trappings and festivities of the holiday season may evoke memories of grief and loss, or frustrations about materialism, traffic jams, and bad weather.
We do our best to offer enjoyable occasions for those who like to celebrate the season, but underneath all of the trimmings there is genuine warmth, friendship, and light to be had during this darkest month of the year. In this we do our best to live out the good news of Christmas that has remained unchanged since the very first: There is love here, and all are welcome.
Merry Christmas!