Having to work on Christmas Day is kind of a bummer. Having family that’s always up for an adventure can turn any bummer into most exotic experience… Let me explain:

My dad loves NYC, so it was no question whether we could act as chauffeurs for a group hoping to fly out of JFK on Christmas Day. The van was only partially full of passengers.

So enter a very sweet bro-in-law (Kerry, you’re awesome) who takes care of the Homefront while allowing Em to travel with me. And my ever patient Mother, and you have our group.

After dropping our passengers to fly the friendly skies, the adventure intensified.

We got picked up at our motel by our Fresh Air Fund Friend: Damon and daughter Kaelani, and friends Britney and Peaches. And they showed us all around. Traffic wasn’t very hectic as we started our adventure.

The Jewish section of NYC was really interesting. The girls in their plaid skirts, married ladies and their wigs, and men in their hats and long dark coats hurried up and down the streets. I know very little about these Hasidic Jews and found this brief intro to their culture so fascinating. December 25 is business as usual in these parts.

We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and entered a completely different world. The Empire State Building welcomed us with a glow of cheery red and green.

We left the safety of our chauffeurs suburban and joined the crowds heading for the Rockefeller Center. We and half of NYC, (maybe half of the nations population) headed for the famous tree. Father said he didn’t even have to walk-the crowd carried/pushed him onward as they moved forward and he stopped when they stopped. 🙈

The masses of people were insane. Our tour guide Peaches parted the crowd and we tucked in her wake and tried to absorb the experience. (Average viewers of the tree during the holiday season is a mere 750,000. Christmas Day def was above the average)

The lights, cold air and city festivities created a one of a kind magic. Christmas was in the air.

Even more outstanding than the 72 foot tall Norway Spruce with its 50,000 lights was the Saks at 5th Avenue Light Show. Again the crowd smashed in thick around us as the music played and the lights pulsed and we took pics and laughed in excitement for the 10 seconds before Father was ready to head on. Damon rolled up to the curb and we hit the trail.

Dallas BBQ provided the finish touch to a one of a kind Christmas.

And as the Christmas moon lit the NYC skyline and I watched the constant hustle from my motel window, I couldn’t help marvel the stark contrast in the various interpretations we witnessed on this day we celebrate and reflect on Jesus’s humble birth…

Let it Be Christmas –Alan Jackson

Let it be Christmas everywhere

In the hearts of all people both near and a far

Christmas everywhere

Feel the love of the season wherever you are

On the small country roads lined with green mistletoe

Big city streets where a thousand lights glow

Let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let every heart sing let every bell ring

The story of hope and joy and peace

And let it be Christmas everywhere

Let heavenly music fill the air

Let anger and fear and hate disappear

Let there be love that lasts through the year

Let it be Christmas

Christmas everywhere

Merry Christmas,

Kendra