December. What is it about this most wonderful time of the year? Lights appear. Playlists shift. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas or It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year spark memories and singing. A musical phrase takes us back to a childhood living room, a parent singing in the kitchen, a snowy sidewalk, the smell of cookies waiting to be decorated, a gathering long past. Nostalgia, celebration, reflection, gratitude, joy.
It's the holiday season, that tender time of year marked by Thanksgiving feasts, Christmas lights, and New Year's promises. It's also the time of year when many of us silently vow to ourselves that we'll treat the people around us with greater tenderness. No more passing people by as if they're props on a stage or obstacles to swerve around.