The Colors of Christmas

"Ooooooooooo...Aaaaaaaaaaah...Ohhhhhhhhhhhh", we chant in unison, mesmerized by light displays we see as we drive slowly by each quiet, back road home. I must tell you that, courtesy of the US Army and my soldier boy husband, I have lived in and visited a few countries as well as several states here in America, and no one does it up during the holidays like the state of Florida. Now, don't go sending me email about your hometown of Bubba, Idaho and its great holiday light displays, 'cause I haven't had a chance to go to Bubba, Idaho... yet. Just relax and sit down and let me tell you about Florida - ahhh, sunny Florida. I must admit that I may be biased about this state, as it is my home, and even though our family was away for awhile, we still considered it home and have for almost 20 years.

There is a town not too far from where I now live in Florida. It is either a small city or a big town, you pick. It is here that I consider one particular light display, "The Best That I Have Ever Seen." I don't dispense this title lightly as we've ooo'd and ahhh'd for a great many years. It is not a business or an obviously wealthy residence but a small, comfortable looking home. Its holiday lights - many that look workshop made - are absolutely amazing, and worth a million in the giddy smiles it produces in my car alone. I am guessing it covers at least an acre or two or maybe even more. Every few feet there is a brightly-lit holiday scene or item of eye candy for you to delve into. A lone reindeer, head bent as if busy eating the grass, an obligatory, waving St. Nick and his sleigh, a charming nativity scene, an igloo seemingly ready to pop out some Florida Eskimos and dozens of trees (both real and fake) dressed in holiday finery, just to name a meager few. I have driven by this wondrous sight at least 20 times and I haven't yet been able to take it all in. I wouldn't blame them if they decided to sell tickets.

I have come to the conclusion that Florida just woke up one day long ago and said to themselves, "Self, we must do something about this lack of snow around the holidays." Aside from wishing for snow itself - since that is one of the big reasons a person chooses to live in Florida - they, perhaps taking a hint from Walt Disney World, collectively decided upon brilliant light displays. Instead of red noses, cold blue toes and white drifting snow, we have twinkling red, blue, and white lights joining hands with the green, yellow, orange and purple in a festive dance of joy for Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Ramadan or simply celebrating the beauty of the Winter Solstice).

If you look around Florida this time of year, you may wonder how you could ever feel like it's Christmas when your toes sink into the warm sands of a balmy beach. But just you wait until the sun goes down and you can see and feel the overflowing child-like Christmas joy bubbling up from the depths of our hearts.