Musings from the CU Suite

Written by Anthony Demangone

"I love this time of year." 

I can't remember who said it, but I do remember everyone agreeing.

It was Sunday evening. The neighborhood wives and children were out and about caroling. The neighborhood husbands were circled around a fire pit. We were guarding some cookies and a cooler or two of drinks. Just to keep them safe. 

Everyone had a skip in their step. There were plenty of hugs and handshakes. There was a ton of laughter.

It is a great time of the year.

But why?

Let's exclude religion from this discussion. (And I'd argue that much of the culture around this time of year has little to do with religion. I'm not saying it isn't something to discuss, but probably not proper fodder for this space.) So, excluding religion, this should be just another stretch in the calendar. But for most people, it isn't. 

So, why is this a great time for many?

• We band together. It could be family. Or neighbors. This is a time of year when we reconnect.
• It is the one time of year when we look back, and dream about the future. Wow, look what we did this year! And...What will  next year bring?
• This is a time when we serve others. We might bake some cookies for a neighbor. Or we may create a little magic for the kids in our lives. But it is a time for thinking and focusing on others. 

What is special about this time is the fact that there's nothing really special about the time of year. It is special because of what we do and how we act. 

It is as if we collectively decided to act our best for this brief period of time. To show concern. To think of others. 

So why won't January 19th or June 8th as special as this time of year?

It seems the answer to that question is up to us.