Despite the fact we’ve spent the last several weeks dreaming of a white Christmas like the ones we used to know without much luck, the Christmas spirit is in the air, and we’re hopeful we’ll kick off the new year with a little more festive outdoor conditions.
The stockings are hung, the smell of baking cookies will fill the air in our house as soon as this issue is off the press, and we’re looking forward to spending time with family and friends, playing games and making memories.
The Christmas feeling was in the air last week as folks watched the Pagosa Springs Dance Academy’s “The Storybook Nutcracker,” Thingamajig Theatre Company’s “A Christmas Carol” and other holiday productions, shopped, took to the snow at Wolf Creek Ski Area and strolled along the Riverwalk during the Old Fashioned Christmas Celebration.
It’s been a lovely holiday season where we’ve seen a lot of generosity, giving, decorations and folks who want the best for others.
We love the spirit of the season, and it’s something we strive to keep up throughout the year (we fully admit some days we’re better at that than others).
While the plates of cookies and other facets aren’t recommended for our health year-round, generosity and kindness are.
We know part of the reason we’ve seen the generosity this holiday season is because so many found themselves in a tough position this season — financially, dealing with the loss of a loved one, worrying about health insurance in the new year or for any number of other reasons.
It’s important to realize that, many times, those difficulties won’t magically be gone by the time we hold the community WinterFest bonfire with the dried-out Christmas trees in January, and we need to ensure our generosity and kindness don’t dry up.
It also means not compounding the problems.
We fully recommend setting out one evening to check out the holiday lighting contest entries and choose your favorites (voting is open through Christmas Day on the Visit Pagosa app).
But, when you set out, please don’t make it a difficult holiday season for more by choosing to drink or partake of other substances that impair you before getting behind the wheel.
Our community lost too many to preventable causes and saw too many convictions for impaired driving this year. We don’t need to end the year with more heartbreaking news and more suffering.
Please also make sure you drive safely if we do see winter-like weather down in the valley (we can hope), and, either way, enjoy the beauty.
From our family to yours, Merry Christmas. We hope you continue to have a safe and wonderful holiday season.
Randi Pierce
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