You Light Up My Life
There’s a song that you probably know called You Light Up My Life. Now the words to this song are very romantic but for me, last night, I recalled the song for another reason.
I was on my way home after dark as I approached the entrance to a park near my home. The park lights up around the holidays into a wonderland of festive figures such as gingerbread men, elves, penguins tossing balls high into the air and over the road, and candy canes sparkling in the dark.
This year is the first that they ask you to tune into their local radio station as you enter the park to hear music being joyfully played throughout the long winding ride.
A highlight of the trip thought this fantasy light parade is the display of well over 50 trees that go on and off to the beat of music by the Trans Siberian Orchestra.
It’s sort of like Christmas tree lights gone wild…I mean REALLY wild!
Then, as I move on up the road toward home there are lights on houses in the neighborhood. The nice thing about these is that there are no two houses that look exactly the same.
Yes, they all have their own little holiday personalities.
I attempted one year to have lights on my house. It’s a Cape Cod style two story house and my efforts were limited to the first floor. Since that didn’t look really that good from the road because of all the summer oaks that hang over most of my yard, I decided a light shining toward the wreath on my door would have to do.
Today, I don’t bother with the lights and just have a simple wreath on the door. Inside there are modest decorations that fit into two boxes.
That’s down a great deal from the 29 boxes of decorations I use to have – and MUCH more manageable.
Don’t know about you, but I got tired of spending two weeks every night just putting the decorations out. Yes, I use to have a tree in EVERY room of my house.
That was excessive and I knew it. Pretty, but excessive.
My tree this year, as in the last few years, has been my large fichus tree you see as you enter the living room from outside. It has white lights on it – lights that stay on all year long. I LOVE to have the lights on my tree there and often plug them in during the year.
Get the fireplace going, put on a little soft music, pour a nice glass of red wine…now that’s nice.
This year, ornaments will grace those limbs and again, it will look like a celebration in that corner. Along with the other things in those two boxes it will be just the right touch for me.
Add a few well chosen dinner parties, rides around the area at night to see all the lights, a concert or two with people I love to be with, visits to holiday gatherings, some unexpected friends dropping in over the holidays, a family get together or two and it will be a perfect holiday season.
Yes, the lights light up my life, but the family and friends I get to be with over the holidays are what really make things special.
My wish for you today is that your December is full of events and visits with family and friends that will light up your life – just like those lights in the park near my home.
~Joellen