My wife and I were sitting outside the Sheraton hotel in Ft. Lauderdale yesterday waiting for her family to arrive from Munich.  The weather was so nice - it seemed like it had been weeks since the sun was really out in Seattle.  It was good just to sit outside and enjoy blue sky and palm trees for a little while.  

One of the bellmen came outside and made some small talk - he had just finished his shift.  I told him I hoped he had a nice, relaxing day off for Christmas.

He said, “I’ll be right back here tomorrow.  But it’s okay, because to me, every day is a Thanksgiving.  Every day is Christmas.”

Sometimes, with all the shopping, parties, stress, and other distractions, we forget what Christmas should be about.  

This random encounter with a stranger was a pleasant reminder.