What makes me happy? - News and Feature Writing

I'm that person. 

The person who would leave her Christmas decorations up all year round if she could.

The person who starts playing Christmas music in September. Okay, okay so maybe I never actually stop playing Christmas music. I'm a Jingle Bell in March kind of girl.

I'm that person who say Merry Christmas to everyone I meet when December rolls around. You may even catch me in a light-up Santa hat or some reindeer antlers on December 1st. I may or may not post a selfie with my Christmas tree or share a photo of the handmade ornaments that embellish that tree.

I can't help myself. I just love the Christmas season and it's one of the few things I will never apologize for.

Think about it, all year round we are constantly stressed out or anxious about something. A country is recovering from a bombing and another is in the middle of a war. Families are broken. People are sick and dying. Cops are shooting kids and kids are shooting cops. The world is falling apart and there doesn't seem to be anything we can do about it.

But then the lights go up. The red and green. The blow-up snowmen sway in the yard. The reindeers graze. The Christmas carols start to play. The smell of cookies fills the air. All of a sudden the world seems a little brighter.

For me it's not just about Santa. For me it's about the baby in the manger. The true reason for the season. The Savior that saved my life and yours. But I understand not everyone agrees.

It's hard to be mad when all you can smell are fresh baked chocolate chip cookies.

It's hard to be sad when 'Frosty the Snowman' is blaring in the mall.

It's hard not to smile when you see a kid drop his last few cents into the bell ringer's bucket.

It's hard not to feel at least a little optimistic when Christmas rolls around and finally, with all of the nonsense going on in the world, people are greeting one another and smiling at each other.

Christmas is here and it brings a little bit of light.

That's what makes me happy. Knowing that the world isn't doomed just yet.

People are still capable of smiling over a newborn in a manger, a jolly man in a red suit, an overgrown man-child in green tights, a snowman who doesn't want to melt, and a little reindeer with a red nose.

The light is coming...

​Can you see it?