All is calm, all is bright...

It felt like a storybook winter night, the kind where you half expect to see Frosty trundle around the corner, or Rudolph peeking around the nearest tree.  Hands stuffed in my pockets, I crunched through the snow along with my family, our breath fogging in the crisp evening air as we made our way toward the Arboretum.  A soft glow from thousands of luminaria bags drew our attention like a giant not-so-bright airplane runway.  Maybe that’s what the feeling of Christmas is.  Everything is… soft.  Not just muffled, but soft, comfortable, beautiful.  Smiles come easily, hugs abound, and goodwill overflows.

On this night, the joyful voices of my little brothers, and the voices of many others also out enjoying the luminaria walk, were somehow absorbed by the snowy landscape.  It was like nature was telling us to slow down, turn everything down a notch, and just enjoy.  In addition to the many luminaria bags, several of the large trees at the arboretum were also colorfully lighted, bathing the landscape in a multicolored glow.  You could almost hear the jingle bells in the air.  Wait… those are bells!  Music from the bell tower added the final touch to this almost-silent night. 

After we traversed the luminaria walk, we hustled inside the Jewett Interpretive Center for warm drinks, then crammed back into the family van for a drive around town to view more Christmas lights!   

This is one of my family holiday traditions.  What does your family do to enjoy the holidays together?  Send us your holiday stories, or post on the YAKboard!   

And don’t forget to take part in the Luminaria Walk this year at the Yakima Area Arboretum.  It’s free and open to the public, so don’t miss out on your chance to crunch through the snow and experience the softness and light of Christmas --  6:00 to 9:00 pm, Friday and Saturday December 12th and 13th.