A Christmas message of light amid the darkness of 2020

The special days on the calendar of each year are time passages.

We mark them, circle them, anticipate them annually, even in the darkness that has defined 2020.

Mardi Gras had unfortunate incidents mar the festivities but it was still enjoyable for many and it occurred just prior to the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Easter Sunday was a day of worship and a time for children to have at least a minimal amount of fun, though Easter egg hunts were not as prevalent as is typically the case.

Independence Day was a bit muted, though fireworks were still seen and heard on many fronts.

Labor Day was, in essence, just another day, particularly for those of who worked throughout the day.

Halloween did bring a few children to our front door and we were happy to oblige with candy, to their pleasure and to the chagrin, perhaps, of their parents.

Thanksgiving provided a chance to spend some time with my mother-in-law and her sons, along with my sisters and one brother as well. It was a time of reflection and relaxation.

Now, Christmas is here.

The pandemic still rages.

While many have cursed the name of 2020, the terms “Phase One, Phase two, Phase three,” are also vulgar, in my book.

Where are those smiles behind the masks?

We remain constricted, restricted, evicted from the everyday life we are accustomed to experiencing. We pray for those who are afflicted and hope that the virus will not be transmitted much longer. Instead, with vaccines prevalent on three fronts, we long for the day when COVID-19 is eradicated from our lives.

The tree has been up and decorated for a month now. That is a ritual in our household, preserving the memories of childhood and the traditions handed down by grandparents and parents.

Now, we maintain those traditions for our children and now, a grandchild, the greatest blessing we have seen in 2020.

The tree of love continues to grow branches.

Our ancestors started it, handed it down and now we do the same, believing that future generations of our family will do the same.

We extend that love to others, regardless of any differences or perceived differences, living the extension of love from He that we celebrate on this day.

The Christmas lights remain fixed to the gutters, door and columns in front of the house. It is my desire that they will remain as long as I am on this earth.

Embracing the whole of Christmas has been more difficult in this difficult year, a real challenge.

Every year, we go see Christmas shows at venues and churches and make a trip or two to see wonderful decorations.

Those were sorely lacking this time around.

Remaining prayerful for those in need and who have suffered loss, in the personal and business realm, has been a constant.

We are grateful that the Lord has preserved us here at CrescentCitySports.com and give thanks that we may continue to serve our deeply appreciated and highly educated sports audience with a platform we do not take for granted. Every day is truly a blessing.

As optimists, we are believing that things will improve incrementally, then dramatically, emphatically as we march forward in faith.

We accept that the past is gone, that we must strive to be our best in the present and to be even better in the future as things are certain to improve.

We hope for good futures for the Saints, Pelicans, LSU, Tulane, UNO, Southeastern, Nicholls, Delgado, Loyola, Xavier, Dillard, SUNO, NOLA Gold, the Jesters and all sports entities. That, of course, includes our beloved high schools, which we champion daily.

For those of us who accept Christmas for its origin, for its namesake, we embrace the purpose of hope entering this world over 2,000 years ago to provide light, to provide instruction, an example and, most of all, to provide, in sports terminology, the playbook to success, achieving the ultimate victory through the birth of the Great I Am, which we celebrate today.

The promise of Isaiah 9:6-7 is fulfilled on this day through the words “wonderful, counselor, mighty, prince, peace, everlasting.”

On this special day, may there be Joy to the World as Heaven and nature sing.

From Jude, Lenny and all of us at CrescentCitySports.com, Merry Christmas, thank you for your support and have a truly blessed day, the best ever, and may that blessing be lasting!