Christmas tree lighting 2023 (Photo by Sherry Larson)
Adams County holds Tree lighting on the square
The Liberty Cornet Band playing Christmas tunes in the CourthouseSquare Gazebo. (Photo by Sherry Larson)
Children pose for photos with some of their favorite holiday characters. (Photo by Sherry Larson)
“It’s Santa, I know him!” (Photo by Sherry Larson)
People and dogs alike - dress for the festivities. (Photo by Sherry Larson)
By Sherry Larson
People’s Defender
There was a winter chill in the air. I could see my breath. Watching the horse-drawn carriage, seeing hands clasped on steaming cups of hot cocoa, and listening to the Liberty Cornet Band play Christmas tunes added to the charm of West Union’s Courthouse Square on Saturday, November 25.
It was reminiscent of a scene from Gilmore Girl’s “Stars Hollow” if you are familiar with the reference from the long-running series of the early 2000s. People gathered wearing their festive holiday clothing. Some were still donning their Ohio State fan wear – lamenting the day’s earlier loss but faithful nonetheless.
It’s the fourth holiday season in the place I now call home, and it feels familiar as I walk around the Square and I’m greeted by name. To be known feels nice, and I contemplate how far we’ve come and what it’s like to feel like one belongs. I look around and hope that everyone gathered here feels community and fellowship.
This event marks the beginning of the holiday season. Perhaps a time like no other when we work together and towards the greater good. May we linger longer and become involved and invested in others. Let us take the time to consider and reflect on our blessings and other’s struggles and encounter humanity with a deep resolve.
The air grows crisper, and the night darker. The square fills with folks waiting for a small Christmas parade and the lighting of the Courthouse tree. The nativity graces the corner of the Annex building as a reminder of the birth of God and redemption. I feel overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for our corner of the world and people who still assemble in quaint places to celebrate a moment of light.
I feel all the holiday “feels” and have the urge to open my pink fur coat and do a twirl, and I can hear Lorelai Gilmore’s prophesying whisper, “Close your eyes and breath – I smell snow.”
