Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays

Today is the rare occurrence that begins both Hanukkah and Christmas. When we gather this evening for dinner with family and friends, the celebrations may be a bit different, but the tone is one of peace on earth.

Let’s be honest. That’s going to me more challenging for many of us this year than most. 2016 has been divisive, and we remain a divided people in many ways. We face 2017 with many questions. There is great uncertainty in the country and the world.

We spend most of our days here on political problems and even some on political solutions. The process is often adversarial. Politics is often just war without the conventional weapons.

As such, it’s time to stand down. We’re going to spend some time with our families and friends. You should too.

Get off of social media. Yes, that includes this blog. Spend some time with your friends and families. Make an effort to genuinely reconnect. If the urge to talk politics comes up…listen. Talk less, smile more. You’ll likely learn something, and it won’t be about the topic at hand.

We’ll be back in limited capacity next week, unless “real” news calls for it first. Morning Reads will resume Tuesday. Have a happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, and/or a great holiday weekend. With that, see you on the other side.