This time of year always gets to me.

I remember mother’s “countdown to Christmas” calendar where we would peel open one window for each day. And literally, the first thing in the morning, running barefoot to the kitchen in nothing but my tighty-whities, peeling open that window counting down 22, 21, 20 days ‘til Christmas, while the Christmas music from mom’s miniature winter village set filled the dining room with Christmas spirit.

It was the anxiousness of waking up every hour on Christmas...