I've been infected ... by the Christmas Spirit

About a week ago, my 10-year-old daughter came bouncing down the stairs singing, "Here Comes Santa Claus." I said to her, "Isn't it a little early to be thinking about Christmas? We still need to get through Thanksgiving."

"I know," she said, and then went back into the her frame of mind. "Hey Dad, 'The Christmas Chronicles 2' comes out Wednesday, can we watch it while we put up Christmas decorations?"

"Of course, but let's do it after Thanksgiving," I said.

But that didn't stop her. Every conversation with her after that was about Christmas.

"Are you going to put lights outside, dad?"

"When are we going to out up the Christmas Tree, dad?"

"Do you think the Elves on the Shelf are coming back this year, dad?"

"Can I have this little Christmas Tree to decorate in my room, dad?"

"Why don't you put Baby Jesus in the manger until Christmas Eve, Dad?"

Recently, she has come down with a bug. It might be just a cold, or it could be something more. Who knows nowadays? What I do know is my daughter infected me. But it's not COVID. It's the Christmas spirit.

So on Thanksgiving night after we ate our turkey and my famous mash potatoes, she asked me again if we could decorate for Christmas. We broke with tradition and put on 'The Christmas Chronicles 2,' I pulled all the Christmas decor from the basement, and we got to work.

Even though my daughter was sick, she and I battled through it and decorated most of the tree with a little help from her big sister. As we worked, I was realizing how much fun we were having, and how it was distracting me from some of the unfortunate situations that had fallen on my family and me.

It also helped me with my creative urges—something I need to keep fresh as I venture back out into new career opportunities. But more importantly, it helped me understand that we all need to stay positive and believe that we will get through life's little and bigger challenges and just be present in the moment.

Because of COVID, some of our family traditions will be skipped, but new ones will emerge. I really believe that because of the spirit of a 10-year-old girl, I have been infected with the spirit of the holidays which might be the right vaccine to what will heal the discomfort that I have felt these past few months.

Happy Holidays!