Days are long, but years are short.  - Whitney Hansen

            It’s that time of year; a time of endings and beginnings - again. I’ve been considering all sorts of ideas and directions over these holidays to include the actual definition of the word holiday. The Old English derivation means holy day. Along with the understanding of festivity and celebration, holidays can be an exemption from work, freedom to do what we want, and a time of relaxation. 

Do not regret growing older. It is a privilege denied to many.  We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one. – Anonymous

Well, sports fans, it’s official. I just turned 69 and am now “elderly.”  Seems like a good time to take stock of the past few weeks. From a more dignified, senior position. (Remember when it was cool to finally become a high school senior?)

As a gift to the community, First Presbyterian Church of Beaufort will present a weekend-long 9^thAnnual Nativity Display Celebration on December 13-15 – featuring more than 100 different nativity scenes from around the world. 

“These are truly one-of-a-kind pieces of art from across the globe,” said Donna Sheetz, First Presbyterian’s Volunteer Nativity Event Coordinator.  “They are all telling the same story of Jesus’ birth, but each scene showcases the rich culture of the people who created it.” 

During the annual Night on the Town celebration in downtown Beaufort on Friday, December 6, the nonprofit Pat Conroy Literary Center will host a poetry reading featuring Andrew K. Clark (Jesus in the Trailer), Benjamin Cutler (The Geese Who Might Be Gods), and Miho Kinnas (Move Over, Bird). Free and open to the public, the reading begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Conroy Center, 905 Port Republic Street. Books will be available for sale and signing, with wine and light refreshments served.