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In & Around the Park,
A letter from VVNA President Craig Zehms Dear Neighbors,
Why do the holidays always present such a conundrum? For me, they have come to symbolize both joy and sorrow. Joy, in our celebrations with family and friends, and sorrow in the realization of loved ones lost, dreams delayed, and the passage of time. My father always cried during “Silent Night” at our Christmas Eve service. He said that it reminded him of how lucky we were to have one another but that others were not so fortunate. He was a generous man and always remembered those that needed assistance throughout the year. Our family home was a source of comfort to me. One year, on the last night of my Christmas visit, I bundled up, crossed the street and sat on the jungle gym in the schoolyard of my elementary school. The moonlight had turned everything ice blue. A whisper of snow had begun to fall. I looked at our house. The windows were lit. Dad had strung white lights in the trees and smoke was coming out of the chimney. Our house could have been a midnight ship at sea or a wintery mirage. It glowed in the silent night. Time had stopped. This was my home. It was filled with love and hope. This was mine. May you find your home this holiday season. Happy New Year! Craig Zehms
VVNA President
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