From White Christmas to Real Battles: Lessons in Tradition and Resilience for the New Year

Let’s face it—wishing for snow during the holidays on the northern Oregon coast is like winning the lottery. Yeah, it could and does happen, but you’d need a massive dose of optimism and some luck. Snow isn’t really our thing this time of year. Sure, those low-pressure systems like to spiral up near the inland passage of Canada, pulling warm air from as far away as Hawaii, but they don’t bring snow. They bring rain. And enough of it to make building Noah’s ark a plausible backup plan.

This Isn’t About Weather

But hey, this isn’t a weather forecast. I’m not an amateur meteorologist and I can’t explain the mysteries of atmospheric physics. Nope, this article is about something else—the traditions that bring us together, the things that remind us we’re all part of one big, mostly dysfunctional, family. You know, the stuff Hallmark specials are made of… minus the, um, acting.

Bing Crosby and the Magic of Tradition

You’ve probably seen White Christmas. Bing Crosby crooning away with those famously blue eyes, like he’s serenading you into a better tax bracket. And yeah, you’ve probably hummed the song more times than you can count. It’s tradition! The song, the movie, the holidays—they have this sneaky way of luring us back to what really matters: family, traditions, kindness.

A Performance to Remember

Speaking of Bing Crosby, I read this fascinating piece in the New York Times about him today. When asked, he said his toughest performance wasn’t in front of powerful Hollywood producers or a packed theater. No, it was in 1944, in France, singing to U.S. troops. He said: He’d just finished cracking jokes and getting the guys laughing—real belly laughs, the kind that momentarily erase the horrors of war. Then he closed the show with “White Christmas.” Here’s the kicker: Bing insisted that the front rows be reserved for the troops heading to the front lines. Not VIPs, not officers. Just the guys about to face the unimaginable. And when he sang that song? Tears. All around. Not because Bing hit a bad note but because it brought home flooding back into their hearts. A few days later, those men faced what we now call The Battle of the Bulge. One of the deadliest battles in history.

Why Tradition Matters

That’s the power of tradition. It reminds us we’re not so different from each other. We all have people and places that ground us, whether it’s a cozy home or a makeshift barracks. For at least one day a year, we set aside the business of life, the arguments about politics or whose turn it is to do the dishes, and we focus on what really matters. At least, that’s the goal.

Holiday Chaos and Family Connection

This Christmas, my wife and I had all nine of our kids and their families under one roof. Let me tell you, it was busy—the good kind, the kind that makes your heart full and your house noisier than normal. My wife’s been prepping for weeks. There were presents, food, activities, and more food. By the end of it, we were both exhausted and too full. But you know what? It was worth it. Because when they all head back to their lives, to work and to school, I want them to feel anchored. To know that no matter what’s coming down the pipe—and let’s face it, life is always throwing curveballs—they’ve got a solid foundation. A predictable, steady, warm place they can count on.

Carrying Lessons into the New Year

So, as we roll into the new year, let’s take that sense of hope and gratitude with us. Will there be challenges? Oh, absolutely. Battles to fight? You bet. And some of them will be real doozies, the kind that require actual courage to do what’s right. Will we lose some? Of course. That’s life. It’s messy and hard, and people are always watching. That’s both daunting and a little embarrassing. But that’s the point: If you’ve got a support system, whether it’s a loving family, a good friend, or even a loyal dog, you can get back up. You can try again. And maybe, just maybe, it’ll sting a little less.

The Role of Resilience in Politics

Epictetus nailed it when he said, “It is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” That’s a lesson we can all use.

And now, as we stare down the challenges of this next year, those lessons of resilience and determination aren’t just good for self-help books—they’re critical for politics, too. Funding ODOT to keep our roads drivable, ensuring healthcare reaches every corner of the state, protecting kids and seniors, tackling the overdose epidemic with more than just thoughts and prayers… these aren’t just line items on a legislative agenda. They’re moral imperatives.

Building a Stronger Community

We’ve got to house the homeless with compassion and ingenuity, keep hammering away at making healthcare affordable, and find creative ways to grow stronger as a community. None of it’s easy. None of it’s quick. But just like in life, the real work is in showing up, learning from past mistakes, and doing the hard thing even when no one’s cheering.

Because, at the end of the day, whether it’s Christmas dinner or a legislative session, it’s all about the same thing: showing up for each other and making sure no one gets left behind.