Christmas is next week. I can’t wait! I get to spend it with family in sunny Florida. Maybe I should say “warm” and sunny Florida. It’s sunny here in northwest Wisconsin, but it’s not warm.

The holidays aren’t only about looking forward. They’re also about looking back. It’s a season filled with reflection. We remember those who are no longer with us, and make telephone calls to those who live far away.

It’s a time for traditions. We bring out the ornaments, each with its own story. We listen to our favorite music, watch the old (and new) holiday movies. We fix all the foods and drinks our parents and grandparents prepared every year. Maybe it’s your aunt’s pecan pie, your mother’s fudge, your grandfather’s egg nog he always made far too strong and boozy for the children.

School concerts, church pageants, caroling, and visiting Santa Claus at the mall. Snowmen, snow angels, and snowball fights.

No matter what, where, or how, you celebrate—I wish you and yours the merriest of holiday seasons and the happiest new year!