From the Editor

ON THE COVER

Deck the Halls

The Samford University Legacy League hosts a home tour every year to fundraise for scholarships for students in need. Photo by Lauren Ustad Design by Connor Martin-Lively TTo mark an end of an era is to often say goodbye and part ways with tradition and loved ones. Holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas should be joyous occasions, right? Everyone sings Christmas carols and decorates their trees in fluorescent splendor. For some, however, holidays can be a drag to trudge through. I am one of those who dred yuletide cheer. Now, don’t get me wrong, readers. I enjoy turkey on Thanksgiving Day and watching the Thanksgiving Day parade that only until this year did my uncle inform me was not actually called, “The Macy’s Day Parade.” I look forward to my alma mater’s “Lighting of the Way,” in which Samford University celebrates the season’s festivities with live music and the lighting of an enormous tree. Though, festivities, I’d argue, are just the perks that holidays often bring. It is the people we share those holidays with that make such moments worthwhile. For those that have lost, holidays often leave a void unfulfilled in their hearts. My father passed away from a brainstem stroke on October 10, 2020, completely out of the blue. My mother, my sister and I spent what felt like an eternity in the ICU, waiting for him to wake up. He never did. Finally, after grieving a life cut short, my mother decided to send my father home to Heaven in time for the holidays. Being one of the most remarkable RN’s that Birmingham has to offer, she actually was the one to “pull the plug,” literally. She didn’t want anyone else to send him home because she took “till death do us part” quite seriously, and she wanted to ensure his care. My mother is the strongest woman I know. I remember that first Christmas without my father, we three sat around the Christmas tree just staring into the emerald abyss, wondering how so much decor could yet feel still so empty. My message to you, readers, (for those that share my faith) is that as the dreaded “joyful occasions embark,” remember that our loved ones are probably celebrating one of the best festivities holidays have to offer in Heaven. Heaven is a place without pain or sorrow. Oh, to hear the angels sing on Christmas morning, rejoicing our Savior’s birth! Won’t that be a sight to see? I cannot promise holidays will get any easier for anyone with a void, but I can successfully say that new traditions will be made. When one era ends, another begins. So, I wish you all comfort during your grief, joy at the end of your sorrows and above all, to remember to cling fast to those you call dear. With all the love in my heart, I wish you each a wonderful holiday season.

Love and cheer,