The sounds of the season along with the tinsel and colored lights dance through my mind hoping to usher in the joys of the season.

Just the smell of freshly decorated evergreen trees and warm gingerbread men puts a smile on the saddest face.

However, nothing sold at the mall or baked in any bakery can bring a smile to a lonely soul. Christmas is a time for families coming together sharing the holiday cheers. Even baby Jesus had the company of the barnyard animals.

So much sadness in the world clouds all the joy from the lights and music.

How is one supposed to participate in all the festivities when you are alone?

Spending that first Christmas without the presence of a loved one is hard to conceive.

The kitchen sits empty because mom is not there basting the ham or baking t-cakes.

The tree stands on a table unlit because you cannot discover that one dead bulb.

The candy dish sports leftover candy from Halloween. Facing that empty bed where my love used to lie beside me is an experience I never get used to. Maybe I can magically blink my eyes and make Christmas disappear, bringing back my normal life.

Wait, what’s that I hear? I don’t recognize the carol, but I know that voice.

Like a warm scarf those strong arms embrace my shoulders, filling the room with a presence I had long forgotten. “I will never leave you alone, for I am with you always.” Those words tasted like a fresh-baked Christmas cookie.

I knew it was the voice of my Savior. I remembered that his light lives in me and his presence decorates my life with joy, peace, and love.

Looking forward to Christmas Eve services and concerts for I  am never alone.

Listening to the children singing brings a smile as if they were mine. I find joy in sharing cookies and candy canes.

I share a Christmas carol to others living in nursing homes alone giving proof that the baby Jesus lives in my heart.

The joys of the season come from someone who is never alone. Because of that Sweet Little Jesus Boy who is always with me, I am spending Christmas alone.

By Gwendolyn Williams