Donna Klein

This is our twentieth Christmas in Northeastern Michigan and a lot has changed over the years, besides getting older.

Our first Christmas as empty nesters, in a place where we knew no one, was very different from the holiday celebrations up until then.

We still had a Christmas tree, but it was the first time we didn’t purchase one from a lot.

Our property had too many too close together, so we picked one that was going to need to be thinned anyway.

We still put up decorations and lit up the outside of the house in bright colors and it lifted our spirits a bit, and I enjoyed the way the lights glowed in the snow.

We took Joe’s mom downstate for a Klein family celebration, which was very nice and it’s always fun hanging out with them.

We rode around looking for holiday lights to get into the holiday spirit, not knowing much about the roads and towns. Downtowns like Cheboygan and Alpena felt welcoming, dressed up in their season’s finest.

We watched fireworks in Onaway and enjoyed some hot cocoa at Moran Ironworks as we watched children line up to visit Santa and receive a gift. We donated gifts for a child in Millersburg. All of this made our new place feel more like home.

But, something was still out of place. We weren’t around long enough to make friends, having moved in during October and I hadn’t hung out my music lessons shingle yet. Making social connections can be hard in rural communities, as we found out, but we also found that lasting friendships are out there.

Fast forward twenty years.

Joe’s mom is already downstate for the holiday season, having just celebrated her 95th birthday. She still spends the summer at her prairie cabin in Cheboygan County, though.

Towns like Rogers City have stepped up their game regarding the Christmas spirit. A trail walk, train rides, a parade, ugly sweater Saturday, and free holiday movies are some of the activities that have joined the beautiful trees in Westminster Park in celebrating the season. Many storefronts have joined the fun with holiday displays to delight every child, including my inner one!

Our younger daughter lives here now, which brightens our lives. We’ve come to know people throughout Presque Isle County by getting involved in the community. I have 40-plus music students at St. John Lutheran School who brighten my day every time I see them. I love them like they’re my own grandchildren. There are families we see every year who come out to pick their Christmas trees. We have friends with whom we enjoy the entire season.

We’ve shared poems and stories, music, and more, and most importantly, the fellowship that comes with just being together. I even celebrated the first night of Hanukkah for the very first time!

What a wonderful community we have up here in our little corner of the Sunrise Side. Please accept my Season’s Greetings and have a very Merry Christmas.