Our Christmas tree is decorated, and last night we lit the menorah for the last time this year.  My son, Ryan, is super-excited about Christmas, and not only for the presents.  In fact, the other day when I asked him what he was most excited about, Ryan answered, “Giving everyone their gifts.” 

Unlike Ryan, I’m not expecting to wake up Christmas morning with packages under the tree.  Though if I had the chance to ask for a gift, I have a big request.  It’s not easily given, not found in a store, and can’t be ordered from Amazon.

The gift I would most like is good health for my family.  This year has been a really challenging one, for me especially.  I found myself in a doctor’s office, undergoing tests, and/or subjected to procedures almost every month this year.  (The only exceptions were June and, so far, December).  And I’m not talking your run-of-the-mill, routine doctor’s appointments.  I’m talking about procedures that took hours, about referrals to specialists, about tests I’d never even heard of before.

It was hard, in every way.  Hard to be so sick and feeling so unwell.  Hard to wait for results.  Hard to receive results.

But now it’s Christmas time.  And all I really want is to keep us all healthy and safe.

With that, I wish all my readers a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!