Christmas 2018: a time to give thanks for what we have

And so it's Christmas. In the year 2018, a time I once thought was so far off it might as well have been a million years in the future.

But it's here, nonetheless. And considering everything that's happening in the world — and in the currently insane political atmosphere affecting this country — those of us who have things to be thankful for should take advantage of that fact.

Because not everyone has the ability to do that. I drove around Spokane yesterday and saw intersection after intersection filled with people carrying signs asking for money. I saw people sleeping on sidewalks and under bridges. I saw others seeking out whatever source of light and warmth that they could find.

And I felt thankful that my own family was intact. That my daughter and her family were safe and warm and enjoying the prospect that Christmas morning — this morning — would dawn and they would be able to enjoy the sharing of presents and good food and loving fellowship.

Of course, in my house, that usually means watching movies. So, amid all of today's good cheer, and giving thanks, we'll take a couple of hours and make sure to watch something from the range of our favorite Christmas movies. Maybe "It's a Wonderful Life." Or the 1951 version of "A Christmas Carol" (starring Alistair Sim). Or our all-time family favorite, "A Christmas Story" ("Bumpuses!!!").

But whatever we do, we'll hope that our good lives continue. And that those whose lives are nowhere near as secure find at least a degree of comfort on this of all mornings.