This Christmas should be a special one — at least for me. It's the first since 1996, the year my wife died, that family members and I will be observing the holiday at home in Polson.

Tom and Christine are coming from Minnesota, Ruth and Lance and Claire from Missoula, also Laurie and Pat and their boys Matthew and Ryan will be coming up from Missoula. Alan and his three kids will be here Thursday before heading for Jackson Hot Springs for Christmas.

A longstanding family tradition is attending the Christmas Eve candlelight service at the Presbyterian Church and then gathering for a clam chowder feed prepared by the kids' Aunt Roberta, my sister-in-law.

When that's over, it's time to hang up the stockings by the chimney with care — in our case on the front door with tacks. And get the kids settled down for a usually brief winter's nap.

Once they're asleep we hang a sheet between the hallway and living room, arrange a few things by the tree and then we grownups settle down for an even briefer winter's nap.

Then, early on Christmas Day, everybody's up, gathered in the living room — except for the kids, who finally are given the OK to come out to see what surprises await them.

Ours is a small house so the spread under the Christmas tree is nothing elaborate or extravagant, but it's fun to see the expressions on the children's faces when they come into the living room.

Usually their countenances light up brighter than the tree lights.

Perhaps I'm leaning a bit heavily on Christmases past in these descriptions. But we'll try to recapture them as best we can this Christmas, being thankful for those past years and appreciating the opportunity to try to relive some of those memories.

Another thing we can appreciate is the fact that we live in such a caring, giving community that tries to bring Christmas and other special times of year to folks who are having tough times.

Helping are programs like Share the Spirit, Toys for Tots, food drives, clothing giveaways, providing school supplies, mentoring, afterschool programs, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, church outreach projects, service clubs' charitable programs, the ASC Relay for Life, the Firemen's Boot program collecting funds for MS victims, Shrine Crippled Children's free hospital/surgery care.

All of these and more help keep the Christmas spirit of sharing alive throughout the year.

Have a blessed Christmas and a happy new year.