Count your blessings, enjoy the holidays in the Lehigh Valley
Being from a large, crazy Italian-Irish family, there are many holiday memories.
There were tons of relatives stopping by constantly. Our house was filled with laughter, returning uncles from World War II (tattooed forearms and all), doting aunts who would keep us children in line, clouds of cigarette smoke and food. Oh, there was food, and plenty of it.
A ham the size of a Volkswagen, covered with pineapple and cloves, baking in the oven. Fresh Italian bread next to steaming pasta on the kitchen table. Some Chianti in a strawwrapped bottle and a tray of assorted nuts.
I had zero interest in the nuts as a kid, unless I was desperate. Oh, we had food all right, and by today’s standards not so healthy. It’s no wonder today I have a cardiologist.
I know that’s a crazy combination, but it made up our kitchen and old-school rec room in the ’50s and ’60s. Throw in the Christmas albums my mom would blast on our oversized stereo, the fresh pine odor of a Christmas tree loaded with tinsel and twinkle lights above the fireplace, and this was packed-house holiday heaven.
When I think of all that love surrounding my family, it made me realize my dad never really told me he loved me. It probably seems sad or odd to many, but in that era men rarely used that word. But I knew my dad loved me.
I knew by his commitment to providing for his family. My dad worked a lot of hours, and after he lost his business he worked two separate jobs so he could put food on the table and give us whatever he could afford. He wasn’t in charge of the complaint department; he was head of perseverance.
Today my daughters and I text each other with hearts and emojis and say often how much we love each other. Back then love was often proved in the sacrifice parents put forth for their children.
I recently got one of the greatest Christmas presents I could ever receive. I celebrated my 20th year of the “Business Matters” TV show on WFMZ-TV, and with that honor I was able to bring my granddaughters on the show. You have no idea how thrilling it is to spend 15 freewheeling minutes of TV hosting your 5-to-9-year-old granddaughters.
They killed it. With every bit of childlike innocence, they described the world through their unblemished lenses. As my very comical friend Mike Keenan says, “Kids are people that the world hasn’t wrecked yet.”
And it’s kind of true. They haven’t been through the crazy, often-rewarding, sometimes-damaging things we adults have endured. As a result, they see the world as a much better place than we do. It’s God’s gift that unfortunately doesn’t last a lifetime.
But it seems lately our lens is getting even darker. It feels like we tend to judge more, dislike more, choose sides and in general are more hellbent on self-destruction.
I sometimes think if I was one of our enemy countries, I’d just let us alone with ourselves. We’re doing a pretty good job tearing ourselves apart from within. You talk with someone who recently immigrated here, or those who have been here for a few years, and they’ll tell you this is still the greatest place on the planet and they’re damn glad to be here.
Are we generationally spoiled by what we have? Have we forgotten how blessed we are?
That when we go to bed at night we’re safe from attack by a foreign nation. When we flip a switch, the lights are sure to come on. That our amazing grocery stores are packed with unimaginable varieties of foods, and that many see us as the land of milk and honey.
And thankfully when we call our amazing first responders,. they’re quickly there taking us to hospitals that have better knowledge and care than we ever dreamed.
I’m counting my blessings and planning for a holiday season that brings joy to the Lehigh Valley. I’m gonna take in beautifully decorated, visitor-filled downtown Bethlehem. I plan on sitting in a packed-house Christmas concert or hockey game at the gorgeous PPL center.
I’m dreaming of a delicious dinner at one of the many restaurants in Easton. Enjoy a family skate at the SteelStacks outdoor rink. Visit the church I grew up in and be grateful to the many places of worship bringing comfort to those seeking love.
I’m not gonna let an overload of news get me sidetracked because I know I live in the greatest country in the world, not to mention the greatest region. And when I think of that TV time with my grandkids, I hope that I do everything I can to leave the Lehigh Valley a better place for them.
After all it’s not just about us; it’s about the generations that follow. It’s about our innocent, loving children being given a chance to at least live the life so many of us have been blessed with. And lift up those who, in the past, have too often have been left behind.
OK, so you don’t need any more of me pontificating. I’m just begging you to enjoy a great holiday season. After all you earned it. I know you and how hard you’ve worked to get where we are today.
So here’s to a merry Christmas, and a happy, peaceful, loving and prosperous 2024.