Some years ago (maybe 10?, or 12?), I participated in a string of Christmas Eve services at a church in York, PA. About halfway home, I noticed a multicolored cacophony of lights in the distance, And truly cacophonous; not the standard Christmas colors at all. When I finally reached it, I found myself at the entrance to the Herr's potato chip factory campus, in Nottingham, PA, and their annual holiday lights display. Distraction comes easily for me, so, of course I drove in. But this was more than a distraction, this was a multi-layered wave of delight and inspiration. And has remained a part of my Christmas experience, every year. Most Christmas seasons, I'll pull off taking someone new on a pilgrimage, that will bring them a similarly heart warming similar experience as my first time driving through (Mission accomplished, a couple of weeks ago). Last night, I was playing a gig in York, PA, and realized we were still within the 12 days of Christmas (it was number 11). So I made sure the route home would half way point at the Herr's campus (where there, conveniently, is a Wawa across the road). The picture above is a very tiny little piece of the experience (which totals over 600,000 lights), nestled within the drive last night. I've never been able to satisfactorily capture the depth of the experience on my phone camera, so have given up trying, preferring to just stay in the moment with it all as I drive through (here is a video that captures it well, and comprehensively). The heart warming is always laced with a bit of melancholy, knowing that (similar to how I experience the moon cycles each month) this is a short-lived experience that will quickly disappear for a time (in this case, 11 months or so). Which just helps me to in the moment with it, and to hold in in my heart, going forward. 

Come to think of it, pretty much every experience is a life lesson, isn't it?    :)