Several times this past weekend, I found my three and a half-year-old granddaughter, Palmer, lying on the floor under the Christmas tree looking at the lights and ornaments and beautifully wrapped gifts. "Papa", she started while pointing to a present, "can I open this one?" It took every ounce of discipline in me to tell her that she would have to wait until Christmas morning. "Okay", she said in a somewhat dejected voice.
Read MoreEarlier this week, Lora and I did the final touches on decorating the Christmas tree. To be fair, Lora does the majority of the decorating of the tree - I basically help set the tree up and get it straight and make sure the angel on top is somewhat secured. Then Lora works her magic - with lights, ribbon, beautiful silver and red ornaments. At that point it’s a beautiful tree, but what finishes it off is what we do next — maybe my favorite part of preparing for Christmas.
Read MoreWith the arrival of November, it’s the time of year when we focus on giving. From Thanksgiving to giving gifts at Christmas, these next two months will provide multiple opportunities to focus on others. Often our giving starts with a simple act of kindness.
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