That Time of Year, Again

         Hello again, friends. I apologize for the tardiness of this latest installment to our blog, and I am sorry that so many of you were kept in such suspense for such a long time. But, as the title of the post suggests, it's that time of year, again. You know, the one where you have multiple basketball games each week, and you are desperately trying to create exams for classes while simultaneously continuing to teach those same classes in order to get them ready for said exams? Oh, wait. That's me, not you. Sorry for the mistake. When I put my head down and get to work, I tend to forget that not all people are teachers, and so most of you probably have no idea what I am talking about. That's ok. And no, I don't need sympathy. Why? Because, it's that time of year, again.
           That's right, it's that time of year when I am almost on Christmas vacation, and the world seems so bright and full of promise (figuratively, of course, as December has the shortest, darkest day of the year). Also, it's that time of year, again, when students begin bringing in treats to share, and the neighborhood is lit with all of the bright lights I remember from childhood. An amazing thing has been happening to me this year, and it's something I have never experienced before. For many years now, I have been known as a grinch to my students and friends around this time of year (and yes, the lectern in my room does has a picture of the Grinch taped to it). For many years, I have been exhausted by all of the lights, cookies, caroling, decorating, etc, as I have found these activies trite and repetitive. But now that it's that  time of year, again, I am seeing things in a different light (ha ha). Even though we are still a long way from completing our adoptive journey, I have begun viewing the Christmas (and or Kwanza and or Hannukah) season through the eyes of a potential child. I am being reminded that that time of year, again, isn't something to dread, but something to embrace. I am in the process of remembering the joy of the little things, like baking cookies, or sitting watching a fire on a cold night. I am remembering the innocence and excitement that all children seem to have during the festive season. I am also beginning to visualize what it will be like to finally have a little one of my own to pass on Christmas traditions to, and watch as he or she (hopefully not it, as I don't want to adopt a Hooloovoo [see the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy for an explanation]) gets to experience all of the joy that being part of a loving family at Christmas time can bring.
              And finally, it's that time of year, again. The time when we begin to look ahead to the next year, and we begin to make promises to ourselves about the changes will make in our lives. I want to propose a change to that tradition. I propose that instead of using the end of the year to ve overly indulgent, and then promise we will do "better" next year, we should spend the days between now and the end of the year being extravangantly king and loving to one another, so that when the year ends, we will look back and be confident that our actions had a lasting impact on OTHERS, and that we will forget about the commercialism, hedonism, and general insanity spurred by the various toy and diamond companies. Let us make that time of year, again, into "that time of year again!!!!!!!" Friends, be good one another.

        Until the next time,
-John and Heather-