Christmas is almost here, as is the end of the year, so it seems a most appropriate time to recall the sweet and innocent memories of childhood. I know it's a hectic time of year, but I ask that you give yourself the uniquely personal gift of taking just a few minutes to reflect on those Christmastime moments of the past that make you smile, giggle or even bring a tear to your eye.

When I reflect on Christmases past, there are many recollections that immediately come to mind. My personal remembrances include a jar of hard candy in a Maxwell House Instant Coffee jar (the lid was red with a star on top) that was setting on our player piano; my Uncle Claude dressed up as Santa; my breaking a tree ornament when my Aunt Sue was babysitting me (while my parents were Christmas shopping); my dad telling me I would get switches in my stocking if I wasn’t a good girl; singing Away in a Manger while peering at the Nativity scene on the Duncan Phyfe sideboard in the dining room; staring out at the starry sky through frosted windowpanes that had canned spray snow stencils upon them; keeping my hands warm in a white rabbit fur muff; the Christmas candle my Aunt Georgia made; my mom and dad stringing blue outdoor Christmas lights and the reflection of those lights on the snow covered lawn, excitement when I got to see Santa in the little log house on the square in my hometown, Hanover, Pennsylvania; my dad taking the Christmas tree down to the basement to allow the snow to melt before putting it up to decorate; watching my 6’2” easily place the star on top of the tree; my sixth grade class creating a candle holder from a small log and filling CARE boxes for those less fortunate in foreign lands; the smell of cinnamon and spices from my mom's baking; Rice Krispies Treats and homemade cookies; exchanging names in Sunday School and the Christmas program at church, my one and only attempt at sneaking a peek at a gift and it turning out to be a Bible; an Annie Oakley doll; a Jon Gnagy drawing kit; a Monopoly game and Lincoln Logs; but most clearly of all, I remember the sweet, sweet feeling of love and the sound of family and friends’ laughter.

I wish you and yours a blessed Christmas and joyous 2011.