Every year on December 24, I write this. I make changes to it as necessary or edit it. This year, there are some significant changes.

Christmas approaches, and it’ll be here when some see this. Although it has changed, it remained a day of mixed emotions for me. There is much more happiness now, but still, there remains a touch of sadness.

Please take a moment to reflect on what this holiday means to you, which means different things to different folks. For me, it was my mom’s favorite holiday. She started preparing for it in January and worked the rest of the year getting ready for it.

Our last Christmas was in 1996-28 years ago. I still remember it vividly. My mom was undergoing chemotherapy, and her doctor suggested she may want to skip her next scheduled one for the 31st so she could go dancing for New Year’s Eve. He was joking, of course, but wait, there’s more.

Unable to walk, my mom laughed, telling me what he said. We were sitting on bar stools in her kitchen. My mom loved dancing. Next thing I know, she was swinging her legs to and fro, saying, “Hey, look at me; I’m dancing.” It made me laugh. I still smile when I recall it. She wouldn’t live another month, but it was a special Christmas, and I cherish the memory of it.

Still, though, it became challenging in other ways. On January 5, 1970, my grandfather died. So, our last original family Christmas effectively ended in 1969. And, for my dad and me, it ended with my mother’s passing. Dad knew how important it was to her and refused to be around anyone on Christmas Day.

He arrived at my home for Christmas a few days before, leaving on the 24th to see his sister-in-law about 150 miles away. But instead of a couple of hours, it took him a couple of days to get there. So, I never really found out where he spent Christmas Day, but it was alone with his thoughts. He may have spent one Christmas with me before leaving this world in 2003, but I’m not sure. It may have been the day after.

My wife would likely know because it would have been at her home. Though I don’t remember it, I hope so. I know he showed up at her house while I was there for Christmas. I’ll have to ask her, but I’ll forget. I write this stuff in a stream-of-consciousness style and need to remember what I wrote. The cool thing is I don’t have to proofread it either. As an aside, I never asked Dawn. Or, if I did, I forget.

I’ve been blessed to have a beautiful wife by my side. She remains so, and while I’ve wronged her in the past, she remains my companion and friend on this life journey. I know this time of year can be difficult for her. Both of her parents are gone from this world. Other challenging things have been going on for her, but she perseveres. The biggest is now over, but one remains, which is lesser in comparison.

So, while there have been losses, there have been gains. I had one daughter, and now I consider myself to have three. I also now have a son and two sons-in-law. Even more incredible are two grandkids, Adam and Lila. I see more in the future. In addition, there is another grandson and great-grandchild by marriage, Drew and Christopher, respectively. Still, it’s not likely I’ll ever have the privilege of seeing either.

With the losses and additions, I don’t consider it a net gain, only that life marches forward, and change is inevitable. I miss those gone; I enjoy and appreciate those here.

Take a moment to call someone, especially if you last talked to them long ago. Texting doesn’t count in my book, but I’m late in the texting game and don’t do it right. It seems impersonal to me; many people do it, but it’s like talking to them. My life would be complete if I could stamp out the use of “lol.”

Renew acquaintances, patch things up, hug someone important, and tell someone you love them. If you let time run out, you may regret not doing so. That is excellent advice; I should follow it.

Think of the past with fondness but anticipate the future. As good as things were, make it a better tomorrow. I’ll see the grandkids, Adam and Lila later today. Ari, Alex, and Anna will be there, as will Jesse, his parents, sister and husband, their kids, and two SOs, Tricia and Brody. Tomorrow, my daughter and her husband, Krystal and David, would stop here, but an injury prevents it. So, family is all part of it, just not always the same people. It has to do with the cycle of life.

The cycle of life seems odd because, in theory, it culminates in death. But it signifies birth, rebirth, or new birth. So it fits. If not, I now declare it does.

Hence, from my favorite movie, “Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.” That’s a nice one to live by, or at least try. It doesn’t necessarily relate to what I’m writing, but I like it, and Christmas remains about Christ.

Before departing for the day, I wish you a Merry Christmas and, if you don’t do Christmas, a happy holiday season and a happy, safe, and healthy 2025! The last one is interesting to me.

In so many ways, putting aside the losses, I can’t conceive of a year worse than 2024, until toward the end, and I’m looking forward to a great 2025.

May God Bless You!

The cancel culture is getting a bit out of hand. Helen Keller co-founded the American Civil Liberties Union in 1920; she was an early supporter of the NAACP, an opponent of lynchings, and an early proponent of birth control. On top of that, she was a socialist. All sounds too good to be true for the left, doesn’t it?

Nope, to some Black disability rights activists like Anita Cameron, Helen Keller is not radical at all, “just another, despite disabilities, privileged white person,” and yet another example of history telling the story of privileged white Americans.

Biden will be remembered as dishonorable but not completely for his role as president. He’s led a disgraceful life, so that’s his legacy. In fairness, we are finding out his ineptitude as president came more from mental incapacity from the beginning, but hiding it has to be shared with others. But he is the face of four years of incompetence; he has own it but share it as well with Harris for her part in the deception.

Believing you are born in the wrong body or with the wrong genetic makeup is, frankly, a delusion fostered by a progressive agenda that promotes the idea that anyone can achieve or become whatever they desire, regardless of reality—everyone gets a trophy. You should live your life as you see fit but don’t expect society to fundamentally change or for people to compromise their rights and spaces, like allowing you to compete against women in sports, use their restrooms, or expect acceptance of your lifestyle choice as the norm.

Being a woman is a divine gift. It’s an honor and a privilege to bear children and to be a mother. Men can learn much from women, and it’s admirable when men aspire to qualities traditionally associated with women; however, if you wish to be something you’re not, you essentially desire a falsehood. If you feel this way, seeking solace or counseling to come to terms with your identity would be beneficial. Remember, you represent a tiny percentage of the population trying to reshape the narrative for the vast majority.

I’m glad to see common sense once more beginning to prevail. May it continue to protect our daughters and societal norms in the future.

Okay, maybe I got it wrong at first, but yes, the world will end tomorrow. I know this because I read it on the Internet. Several theories are given, and some make sense. One theory holds that there will be a shift in the magnetic poles. This one is the most plausible because, for years, we’ve been told there’s a north pole and south pole, but they’re not located at the top of the world.

So, Santa may live at the North Pole, but it is not the true magnetic North Pole. No one can because we had little magnets implanted in our feet when we were born, and repulsion would keep flipping us over if we tried. Besides, how does anyone know they’re both not the same, meaning they would repel each other if they came together? And they will tomorrow and when that happens, the earth explodes or spins wildly. Plus, the magnetic field of the earth is weak. A refrigerator is stronger, so when the poles come together, we start spinning fast, thrown into space, or really dizzy.

Then there’s the Nibiru cataclysm wiping us out. NASA is working frantically to dispel this theory and call it Planet X, but that’s just to throw you off. It’s an old professional wrestling gimmick. That mysterious dude with a mask on was tough and came out of nowhere, beating up good guys.

The idea is that we can see it by now if ludicrous. It could be traveling 4 or 5 times the speed of light. I know NASA put out a video showing that on December 22nd, we wouldn’t be living in a Mad Max world, but keep in mind, those are the same people who insist a man landed on the moon when 5% of the American people believe the whole thing was staged on a Hollywood set. Clearly, another 6% don’t know. Remember, too, NASA is tied with the government-Nuff said! Plus, Planet X will disrupt our magnetic field, and we already know what that means. So go with the Mad Max ending.

Some attribute it to global warming or climate change. We name winter storms now, and right now, and it’s only the middle of December, the Midwest, a few years ago, got pounded with snow by Storm Draco. Odd name, isn’t it? It reminds me of Donnie Darko; we all know how that ended. Well, actually, I don’t because I’ve watched it several times and never understood it, but my guess is it’s bad. Draco is a code name for Darko. By the way, doom and day both start with a ‘d’ too. DoomsDay is tomorrow.

Not so bad for me. on page, I was going to start a series I don’t want to do, so I won’t. I also have a question about health insurance I promised to get to, which now I can ignore. I did schedule a haircut for tomorrow, but only because my wife insisted, I get one. So not going to worry about doing it either.

Oh yeah, and for those saying, people over the International Dateline already made it to December 22nd. No, actually, they didn’t. The Mayans were in Pacific Standard Time.

I think a giant battlestar is out there, and we’re all going to get sucked into a giant black hole until the 22nd but several thousand years from now, but as we cross the horizon, time will virtually stop, and it will be 2013. If you go alone, everyone you know will be dead. But since we are all going together, the 22nd will just be another day.

SO, SUCK IT UP!