Robson Ranch Rambler — December 2021

By Suzanne Spisak Vice President, Resident Director, Robson Ranch Denton HOA

Bah Humbug! I can’t deny it. That has been my visceral reaction to that portion of the holiday season that starts the day after Thanksgiving and runs to Christmas Eve. I sound like a scrooge, but I have always preferred Thanksgiving. It is about family, food and no gifts.

As retirees, we shake our heads and wonder, “How did we get it all done…the shopping, baking, cleaning, decorating, wrapping…when we had young children and full-time jobs?”

For any young parents reading this column, I am sure you can relate. It’s a marathon event. For me, the equivalent of the finisher medal was finally sitting down on the couch with a Grand Marnier at 10 p.m. on Christmas Eve with the kids in bed, wrapped presents under the tree, and Christmas Day dinner planned and prepped.

Every year, I tried my best through the hectic days to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas, the celebration of God’s ultimate gift: the birth of Jesus. Some years, the lion’s share of my reflection was at Christmas Eve Mass. We, in turn, expressed our love through gifts and time spent with family and friends.

In retirement, I am still busy with my perennial holiday things-to-do-list. At Robson Ranch, we have many opportunities to bring happiness to others. We have toy drives. We shop for families in need. We honor the staff and volunteers who keep our community in top shape. We go caroling through our streets and visit with homebound neighbors. At night, our homes are ablaze with perfectly spaced Christmas lights for the enjoyment of all! Of course, we continue to want to make Christmas memorable for our spouses, our children and grandchildren, our friends, and ourselves.

As goal driven as I am, I have never been a big proponent of New Year’s resolutions. Because, in my mind, just getting through the holiday marathon was achievement enough. The events of the past year have us thinking differently. Maybe this year, my resolve will be to figure out how live the Christmas Spirit, to be grateful and be useful to someone every day.