By Rex Alphin
Columnist

Ten million kids from Virginia Beach to L.A. so excited they can hardly stand it.

… Hearing the same songs you heard last year. But somehow they are new again.

… Food. Lots of it. Cookies, pies, cakes, eggnog, chocolate, nuts, wine, ham, cheese, punch …

… Seeing little Kenny being that much taller, Aunt Thelma being that much heavier, Uncle Harry being that much grayer and Grandma Dudley being that much slower.

… The celebration of a person who literally changed the course of human history.

… Grandkids. Pulling on your shirt, crawling up your leg, poking your nose, taking ornaments off the tree, spilling milk, laughing at you making silly sounds. Oh yeah.

… An empty chair that was occupied by someone you loved last year.

… A tree in your house. An actual tree in your living room. What else could possibly make a woman permit that?

… Finding the one bulb that made all the rest go out.

… Someone opening a present and wrapping it back up and acting surprised Christmas morn (you know who you are).

… Finding the perfect gift for someone you love, and you can barely wait to give it to them.

… Dasher and Dancer and Prancer and Vixen.

… Kissing her under the mistletoe.

… Almost here!

Rex Alphin is an Isle of Wight farmer and a member of Westminster Reformed Presbyterian Church in Suffolk. Email him at RexAlphin@aol.com.