“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year. I will live in the Past, the Present, and the Future…I will not shut out the lessons that they teach.”

—A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens, 1843)

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christmas perhaps…means a little bit more!”

—How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (Dr. Seuss, 1957)

The cards are in the recycle bin; Kevin, Clark, George Bailey, and their DVD friends and families are put away; and the tree’s been un-decorated and put out at the curb–at least at our house, but maybe not yours! Christmas is over.

Already? After the journey through Advent and the anxious anticipation of Christmas Day, it seems to come and go quickly.

To be fair, for some people, the end of the Christmas season can’t come soon enough. Grief and serious illness cut deeper when they’re surrounded by joy and cheer.

To those folks, hang in there. A deep wound heals, but the scar remains. Nevertheless, Christmas can be joyful once again.

For non-believers, the Christmas season marks the epitome of frivolity and happiness. Houses, streets, and stores are decked out in their Christmas finest, people are in a festive mood, and generosity abounds.

For the kids and, let’s face it, the “kid” in many of us adults, the gifts beneath the tree tempt us to unwrap and sneak a peek, or at least give the boxes a shake or sniff.

There’s nothing wrong with any of that. We all need a mood lifter in today’s world.

For believers, we celebrate Christmas as the birth of the Christ child, marking the beginning of a thirty-three year journey to the cross, in whose shadow we all reside.

Without Christmas, there would have been no cross, no death, and no resurrection. Could God have chosen another path to our collective salvation? Of course, but can you imagine one more poignant and sacrificial?

So, with the season ending, what can we do? A few suggestions:

• Sustain the joy of the season. Continue to extend peace and goodwill to your fellow man. Again, can’t we use a bit more of that?

• Remain generous. We are a blessed nation and people. Give back, remembering how much better it feels to give, and not get.

• Keep your child-like exuberance for life: the happy expectation of good things to come.

• Aim for a Scrooge conversion. If you’re a grouch, let the meaning of the season seep into your soul and convert you. Like Scrooge, we can all be better people. Remember the joy he discovered through the pen of Dickens. It can be ours, too.

• Re-read The Grinch. There’s a lesson in those silly rhymes.

• Keep Christ in Christmas. An oft-used expression, but one that shouldn’t be lost on us. Let Him be the role model for your life–every day.

• Maintain the Spirit of Christmas year round. Look forward with that same excited anticipation to the gift of another day.

Okay, that’s it. As the new year approaches, maybe you can find a resolution somewhere in that list.

If not, come up with one of your own, and add it to the list that re-surfaces every year: eat less, exercise more, read every day, etc. You might even consider putting it at the top of your list.

Finally, happy New Year to you all. I trust 2022 will be a year of bounty, blessings, and good health for you and those you love!