The Glow of Christmas

Hubby and I have been out several nights this past week going to the gym, Christmas shopping, and a general errand or two. At first I saw Christmas lights on houses and it was a pang of sorrow, and then, slowly, I began to realize I was actually looking for them.

There is something about this time of year that simply warms my heart, and the visible sign appears to be the Christmas lights I see. In the mall some people have such a serious look on their face as they glance down at pieces of paper with notes written on it for gifts. Other people just meander through the mall and different shops and just simply shop for the gift that will make someone they know smile. There are still others who go straight for the bargains with the attitude of "(recipient) should be happy I even got them something!" (These people sort of annoy me in general.)

While in the mall Sunday with some friends doing some shopping, I couldn't help but wonder what type of Christmas lights these people would have outside on their houses. The first group, I thought, probably had a general lighting theme but wanted to make sure it was "just right" so they were always doodling with the lights. The second group probably had lights on their house and many ideas still floating around for the themes; not everything for them would be perfect, but it would be brilliant and very lovely because it had been done with great love and enjoyment. The last group I would expect to have only partial lighted houses and half-heartedly put up, like the "Twleve Things I Hate For Christmas" song.