My husband could care less about most holidays along with any associated traditions. (Except for Thanksgiving because what man doesn’t like to eat?) But not me. I’m big on tradition and even bigger on Christmas traditions. 

Recently, a friend told me she likes taking her grandkids to the Parade of Lights but she probably won’t this year because they think it’s boring. I objected, “What?! I love the Parade of Lights!” 

But I get where her grandkids are coming from. While I might’ve enjoyed parades when I was their age, they don’t exactly appeal to me now. However, I do enjoy Christmas music and the lights, and sipping Enstrom hot chocolate makes the dropping temperature much more tolerable.

Another time-honored Christmas tradition I stand by is giving. This one goes way back! For Christians, this ritual stems from the very first Christmas, when the Magi traveled to Bethlehem and bestowed upon Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. But even before Christ, many ancient cultures held celebrations in December that embraced gift giving.

Giving your time is just as valuable as any tangible or monetary gift. This year, whether you plan to volunteer at a local food bank, give money to local nonprofits on Colorado Gives Day (www.coloradogives.org), or buy socks, blankets and sheets to give to seniors in nursing homes, it’s important to ensure we don’t lose sight of what our gifts to one another really mean. 

Remember, the answer to “How much should I give?” is always, “More!”

Vote for the best and win gift cards!

BEACON readers know best, so tell us about the businesses with exceptional staff, products and services by nominating them for the 2022 BEACON Best Awards. Sharing the love is a win-win! Nominators can win gift cards to some of their favorite organizations, while the most voted-on businesses will be featured in a special awards section in February’s BEACON. Mail-in the completed ballot or vote online at www.BeaconSeniorNews.com

BEACON wins BIG

Every year, the BEACON attends the North American Mature Publisher’s Association convention and enters in the awards competition. We set our sights high this year and brought home the top award in our division. Thank you to the BEACON staff, our writers, advertisers and faithful readers for a successful year! Read more about our award-winning publications here.

BEACON Guide coming soon

Next month, you’ll find a copy of the 2022 Mesa County BEACON Guide tucked inside our January issue. (Our Montrose-Delta BEACON Guide comes out in our February issue!) This annual publication is designed to help you age well with hundreds of hard-to-find phone numbers for local, state and national resources. It also features informative articles to help with the transitions you or a loved one may be going through. Call us to request your free copies: 970-243-8829.

Letters from our readers

"Thank you for allowing us to square dance again for your BeaconFest fans in Montrose. We enjoyed performing and were thrilled to get many great comments afterwards. We even got some names to contact for future square dancing classes. Best wishes to you and your readers in the coming year!"
-Paul Ash, Delta Hub-Wheelers

RE: “Dress Boldly” (October)
"When I spotted the red hat and saw the “Dress Boldly” title, I just had to read it! We are so blessed with wonderful thrift stores here in Grand Junction. I have employed similar tricks and tips over the years. By basic layering and mixing styles, I have put together some really fun outfits. Sandra is correct—it’s better not to look for something specific. Just go in and see what falls into place! I was born in 1963 and enjoy wearing styles from all decades of my life! Thanks for the perfect article!"
- Page D., Grand Junction

RE: Ask the Old Bag
"I hope now that Ms. Creswick is retiring, you will change the column’s title. “Ask the Old Bag” is a demeaning, outdated stereotypic slur for older women and should have no place in a magazine meant to uplift seniors."
- Donna A.

Cloie: I completely agree with you. The name of the column is not at all reflective of older adults today, nor has it ever been! Gayle never intended this to be demeaning—in fact, here’s the story behind the name of her column, which she shared with readers occasionally:

“Years ago, I had an office in a retirement community. One day, while waiting for the elevator, I saw three women sitting on a bench visiting loud enough for me to hear. One woman asked, ‘Who is that woman?’ Another replied, ‘I don’t know, but she sure looks like an old bag!’ They had to be talking about me. When I exited the elevator, I proceeded to the restroom and looked in the mirror. ‘Egad!’ I exclaimed. ‘You do look like an old bag!’ Then I smiled—and I no longer looked like an old bag. From then on I tried to smile more. I told this story to my friend Peg, who laughed her head off. As I prepared to write the column I thought ‘Ask the Old Bag’ would get more attention.”