Our writers took the time to share their family traditions on these public pages, so I tried to step up. Turns out I don’t have that many. I’m confident I have watched “It’s a Wonderful Life” for most of the last 60 holiday seasons and still can’t do it tearless. But I find most other rituals tend to change with the times. Our children grow into parents, building new lives in new homes, in different places. My celebration is something I learned from my mother ... to adapt. To be ok if it’s not perfect, to be ok if plans change at the last minute, to find the happy in the chaos.

 My daughter and her family celebrated Christmas 2021 with us in June of ‘22, with a lit tree and all. This year it might be on December 26th. My son and his beautiful daughter will be on a different schedule, but we will have our special day. We will also share Christmas with my father on the sand in South Florida as the hurricanes permit, and we will be profoundly thankful for each of them.

For me, this time of year turns into an uninvited self-evaluation. The end of the calendar creates a natural timepost to reaccess. The pending click of another trip around the sun is a time to recalculate the orbit. I will always take some time in December to relive the torture of the past year’s mistakes, in a somewhat valiant effort to be a better human, a better publisher, a better friend, husband and father. I do a lot of stupid stuff, reliving it can be painful. But I remember the good stuff too, those little victories my brother likes to call God Shots that keep us all on the path. I am also blessed that San Clemente’s beaches and her trails give me endless venues to think and to thank.

 Once again our Holiday Issue in this election cycle dictates that we go to press the Monday before we vote. This leaves no opportunity for me to congratulate the victors or console the vanquished. It does present a last chance to offer my genuine appreciation to those who cared enough about this community to run for public office. I find myself less opposed to people with different opinions than to those who have none. This election will go down as the most diverse in my 40 year history here. We have candidates of Latin, African, and Asian descent. We have senior women, young men, teachers, veterans and entrepreneurs, so many qualified.

I’m thankful that the city has worthy choices. It is no easy task to take on the commitment of a campaign. This season, they all fought for their beliefs without fighting against each other. And that, is something we can all be thankful for. Enjoy, Don Kindred