This year, December comes with a bit of nostalgia for me.

Last year, the weekend after Thanksgiving was the last time I saw my Grammy. In February, the day before she passed away, she told me she had reluctantly taken down the last of her feather trees. In her words, "Christmas was beautiful, and it will be beautiful again."

Last weekend, we picked out our little tree and strung it with white lights. As we stood back to admire its warm, cozy glow in our dimly-lit living room, I leaned my head against SD's chest and whispered, "Christmas is beautiful again."

Amidst all the hustle and bustle of the holiday season - gifts to purchase and wrap, cards to address and mail, custom order requests, cookies to bake, lessons to teach, concerts to play, halls to deck, carols to sing, etc. - I don't want to lose sight of the beauty of this season.

There is beauty in the stillness of the first snowfall. It's magical. In stillness, find peace.

There is beauty in quiet, no-fuss evenings at home in front of the Christmas tree. In the quiet, find hope.

There is beauty in giving. In giving, find joy.

There is beauty in the waiting, as told by Isaiah and echoed in our lives today. In waiting, find light.

This year, hold tight to the beautiful, simple moments. These are the moments legacies are made of.