By KATHY COPELAND / Community Columnist

With the hustle and bustle of Christmas over and a dry partially sunny day, it was time to scrape Merry Christmas off the windows.

Loving Christmas music, I pushed play so I could listen to “Go Tell it on the Mountain” one more time. I was not looking forward to scraping windows but intended to make the most of it.

Razor scraper, paper towels and Windex in hand; my little furry side kick curled up on the sidewalk, the mission was underway.

As the painted art disappeared, I reflected on the very busy month of December and its associated sweet, bittersweet and very sad memories. Christmas is a hard time for so many and for some it can be so dark that life becomes too hard.

Yet, it is also a time that brings out the best in people. And here, it’s a time when you can block off a main thorough fare for a Christmas parade. This year, the Vincent Christmas Parade put an exclamation point on special. The lingering feelings that the evening created underscore this statement.

Countless folks have commented on their experience of the evening. Every church in Vincent and some beyond participated with soups, chili, hot dogs, sweets, coffee and hot chocolate. Most importantly, with prayer. Yes, the ministers from the churches all stood united in prayer before the lighting of the tree and before the parade began.

Businesses also participated with food, and treats like cotton candy and lollipops, hand twisted balloons and party glow wands. Elementary school children performed, singing Christmas Carols. People walked around smiling, hugging and singing. Just having a good time.

The parade did not disappoint with plenty of noise for the on lookers from the fire trucks to the Middle High School’s Marching Band. And crowd favorites—motorcycles, horses and tractors.

Is reading this making you smile? It should. Wouldn’t it be nice if we could treat each other with this much love all year?

Finishing the job at hand, I could hear the church bells chime in the background carrying my thoughts to those I no longer have the opportunity to hug, to the many in my life with aching hearts and to those who have struggles only God can heal.

At that moment, it was like God was speaking to me saying, “There is a message here.” Yes, indeed there is I thought.

As we enter a new decade that will be full of challenges and new opportunities, let us carry with us the memory of the good feelings associated with life like holding a child and watching their face as Santa comes down a rural country road on a fire truck.

Let us remember, that the kind of love that gives us the reason to plan these events is about kindness and forgiveness.

Let us remember that life is precious, and it can be over in less time than it takes to scrape Merry Christmas off the window.