I was bound and determined. Bound and determined starting a year ago when I wrote my December 2022 column that I would not be writing about the holidays for this December column. In the past, I’ve sought to capture everything that this time of year evokes. It feels like an adage: shopping local keeps more money in our community. And consequently, has that been exhausted? And, on top of that, I have feared that the words have become repetitive and reductive. There is so much to capture. Perhaps I was being foolish to think that I had that much resolve. Perhaps I am being foolish now for trying again. But as the Christmas decorations were installed last month, my feelings started to change.

This time of year can ignite nostalgia and much reflection. This column ignites reflection for me. In a season of “go, go, go” I sometimes wonder what is most warranting of reflection. And when this time of year can often feel like too much, we need to hit pause and make sure we realize that this time of year also ignites joy.

While we come at it from many different angles, the common thread of everything we do is to create more joy, more fun, and more connection; to cultivate it. For us, that happens when you are doing the things you love in the place we love. In places where memories become almost fabled. And where new adventures become tradition.

Once upon a time, Monroe was my new adventure. As the years have passed, I’ve gone from seeing it as a new adventure to going through the motions at times, to realizing the traditions. Yes, I might feel rushed about getting the decorations out and anxious about the events we host. But there’s more.

I have a vivid memory of telling someone during my first Lighted Christmas Parade that I was not enjoying it, but the truth is I was not really appreciating it. As I reflect, I have come to appreciate it so much that I have no problem sharing long changed sentiments. At the parade last Friday, I felt joy. Joy with the snow falling just hard enough to make sure it’s inescapable in every photo. Joy in it being just cold enough to properly appreciate a hot drink and the warmth from the firepits installed immediately after the parade. Joy in the crowds. And so, if my feelings started to change with decorations, they did a complete 180 with all of you at the parade.

I am still tempted to write about the best things in life being great moments and that the best gifts remind you of those moments. Gifts that say, “I get you,” and confirm that you are surrounded by your people. And that you’ll find them downtown. But while I cannot box joy, possibly no more than I can properly express it, I do know that I’m still finding places in downtown Monroe and things that evoke the feelings of life’s great moments, which can be summed up in one word: joy.

And so, I write, yet again, about Christmas and my hope that there’s something downtown for you this season that reminds you of life’s great moments. Or, at the very least, something that inspires you to look for them.

Wishing you all the merriest Christmas and with deep gratitude.

—  Jordan Nordby is the executive director for Main Street Monroe. He can be reached at MonroeMainStreet@tds.net. Complete details on Main Street Monroe and its efforts can be found at mainstreetmonroe.org.