December 1, 2012: This morning - roughly around 7:30 - my son looked out of the window and watched with excitement the falling snow. We live in the middle of New England, and snow at this time is, of course, nothing new. Adults get annoyed and children are excited.

So there he stood, my five-year-old, nose pressed against the window, and then he uttered the words, "Daddy, look! It's Christmas!" That was the moment when it struck me... Christmas! Christmas music on the local radio station 24 hours a day over the weekend... And always (I mean ALWAYS!) the same music. I remember the time when I loved hearing John Lennon's Merry X-Mas, War is Over, especially the part where the voice of an angel (Yoko Ono) comes up. These days, after having heard the song every single day (and not only once) during last year's Christmas season, I can only grimace, and I turn off the radio.

It could be worse... It could be the worst rendition of "Silent Night" in the history of Christmas pop music, the one by Five for Fighting.

However, there is hope that my Christmas experience will not be a Buh-Humbug experience... Right after breakfast, my son picked up the two Advent Calendars filled with chocolate, and he asked me to unwrap them. He didn't really understand that it was, in fact, the first day of December, but the presence of snow was sufficient justification to declare Christmas season as open. When he was done chewing, he demanded to get dressed and have a walk through the snow with the dog and me.

Later in the day, we will drive over to a local farm where they provide a hay ride into the fields where we will go and cut a Christmas tree. My wife and I have made this a Christmas tradition, and this annual event will be something that our son will remember fondly his whole life. My son and I will cut the tree, because Daddy enjoys when he helps. My wife will shoot the photos who will end up on Facebook and will find their way onto the Christmas cards we will send to friends and family. And chances are that we will start decorating the tree tomorrow, and I am looking forward to it.

So, after all, I am sure this will be yet another Christmas to remember, a Christmas with the family I love.

"Painted Wings and Giants' Rings" by Wilfried F. Voss has now been released on Amazon Kindle. For more information see New on Kindle: Painted Wings and Giants' Rings, About the Loss of Innocence

Painted wings, childhood’s great defender,
And giants’ rings are such great splendor.
Keep these treasures, don’t grow old
In a world of tears and full of cold.
- The Faery’s Silly Song