As the holiday season goes into full swing, I was a little taken aback by how quickly we transitioned from preparing to celebrate Thanksgiving to season's greetings and holiday cheer.  I must say that I was very surprised to see my neighbor's put up and turn on their Christmas lights on Thanksgiving Day.  The other sign came from my favorite jazz station that all of sudden began playing Christmas music twenty four hours a day and seven days a week.  I caught myself being a little negative about this at first and then I quickly came to the realization that if this brings hope and cheer among people around us, then why not?  Who am I to say when the magic date is when the holiday season should begin in anyone's home, whether it is inside or out.  I have come to embrace the fact that for some the season has come earlier than mine and if the point of the season is filled with all of those things that bring us an expectation that things will be better and more fruitful, I am on their side.  When I think about how time flies for everyone, it makes me realize that we have a finite amount of holiday season's in our lives to begin with.  We are working with the great unknown as to when will be someone's last.  I bet that we all would have gone all out to ensure that knowing that it would be the last holiday we would spend with a particular loved one, that it would be the ultimate best one ever.  Therefore, if you were feeling apprehensive about the upcoming holidays and perhaps you were thinking about the costs of shopping for gifts or like me, anxious about having to go into malls or stores with lots of people and little parking, then put it aside.  The holidays are to remind us of the season of wonder, hope and joy.  If the byproduct of this period are those elements, then we should all be eager to receive the many well wishes and look forward to a season of miracles around us.