It's the day after Thanksgiving. That means it's time to put up the outside Christmas decorations. For as long as I can remember, my dad and I have always made a big production out of it. Mom and @catsonroombasalsosharks would help sometimes, but it was "our thing".
When Hurricane Michael came through and tore most of the trees out of our yard, Mom joked that we might have to do less this year. But we said we most certainly would not!
When Dad passed away a couple of weeks ago, some people assumed that decorating without him would be too difficult.
But this is one of my family's favorite times of year. And we've decided to keep it that way. So: today is the day after Thanksgiving. Which means I'd be damned if the outdoor decorations didn't get put up today.
And for those of you worried about decorating without my dad? Well, I didn't. Because he was there: as I untangled every box of lights, as I tried to remember how we ran power to everything last year, as I waited to see which pieces of the Nativity set wouldn't light up this year.
Happy Holidays, everyone. Here's to all the ways we can still make things merry and bright.