As many of us prepare for the approaching holidays, we are bringing up boxes from our basements or down from our attics. We are hanging ornaments, cooking food, welcoming family, and preparing to light candles. I – like many of us – look forward to these familiar traditions. As a kid, I hated to see the holidays end: the decorations boxed up, the food eaten, the aunts and cousins driving away. As an adult, I better understand that the feeling that comes with the holidays doesn’t have to end. Our celebrations might last only a day, or a week, but the goodwill we feel can last all year.
That’s what I see as I travel through Orange County, speaking to small business owners, teachers, healthcare professionals, first responders, students, parents, and grandparents throughout our district. I see the thoughtfulness we often associate with the holidays displayed all year long. It looks like neighbors checking on each other after a storm, supporting a town festival, going to see the local school’s football game or school play, or trying out a new local restaurant. It looks like goodwill, and I see it everywhere I go in Orange County.
As we celebrate this season of togetherness, of hope, and of light, I am particularly grateful to have been given the opportunity to continue to serve as your State Senator. I am honored by the trust that you’ve shown in me, and will continue to work to be equal to that faith. A very happy holidays to you all; may this season be filled with peace and love.
