May your days be merry and bright
EDITORIAL -- FEATURE SPOT, Editorials, Opinion, Z - TOP HOME
 By  Staff Reports Published 
8:48 pm Tuesday, December 22, 2020

May your days be merry and bright

“May your days be merry and bright” – and the completion of that line, as we all know is, “and may all your Christmases be white.”

Penned by Irving Berlin, this song reminisces on white Christmases of yore, “just like the ones I used to know,” the lyrics reflect wistfully.

Well, here in Alabama, our white Christmases are few and far between, and although there is a chance of snowfall this Christmas Eve, treetops glistening with snow isn’t necessarily our wish for you.

We do, however, hope your days will be merry and bright.

This has been an undeniably difficult year, and even the arrival of “the holidays” can’t erase the struggles we have faced, both individually as well as collectively as a community.

Despite this truth, we here at the Franklin County Times are hopeful for better days ahead for all of us. We invite you to join us in that hopeful optimism.

“Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise,” as Victor Hugo wrote in “Les Miserables.” Even with all the challenges 2020 has brought – chiefly, of course, the COVID-19 pandemic and everything it has caused – we can be certain tough times don’t last forever.

In a season traditionally devoted to finding greater joy, to being thankful and generous and eager for the days ahead, let’s raise a glass – a cup of good cheer, if you will – to the hope for a happier horizon.

Since March it has sometimes seemed we had nothing but sad news to report, from hospitalizations and deaths to school closures and event cancellations. In spite of that, we know good has come from this year, and we know good will come in the years ahead.

Christmas present is here today, bringing joy that lasts.

As you go through your holiday season, we hope you find that joy that lasts. Even if you’re not getting to enjoy all the traditions that usually accompany the holiday season – whether you’re mourning the Christmas parades or reluctantly canceling you family gathering – let’s look on the bright side.

We know there is one.

Even the darkest night will end.

The sun will rise.

May your days be merry and bright.

Also on Franklin County Times
Gray named president of Red Bay, Helen Keller hospitals
Main, News, Red Bay
By Brady Petree For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Red Bay hospital will soon be under new leadership as Jeremy Gray, who has been hired as the new president of the Franklin County facility...
5 properties are designated nuisance
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — Five properties within the city have been designated public nuisances, and city workers soon will begin tearing down a burnedout partia...
Condemned downtown building to be demolished, replaced
Main, News, Russellville, ...
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
July 15, 2026
RUSSELLVILLE — The condemned building that used to house the Faith Mission Outreach will be demolished and a new structure rebuilt in its place. In an...
Jones says he’ll listen to Alabamians
Main, News
Bernie Delinski For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Doug Jones shared a vision July 9 of an Alabama government who listens to its constituents and focuses ...
Stage being renovated for W.C. Handy Fest
News
By Ella Seaton For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
SHEFFIELD — Stage renovations at Riverfront Park face a fast-approaching completion deadline prior to the W.C. Handy Music Festival. With “Riverside J...
A $174M penalty families can’t afford
Columnists, News, Opinion
July 15, 2026
Recently, the federal government published “scores” that will determine how much each state will have to pay toward its SNAP program starting in 2027....
Friendships more precious as years pass
Columnists, Features, Lifestyles, ...
HERE AND NOW
July 15, 2026
Friends are wonderful gifts. Throughout different stages of life, friends serve as anchors, confidants and sources of strength. While many people come...
Sparks is youngest miracle worker yet
News
By Addi Broadfoots For the FCT 
July 15, 2026
For 65 years, audiences have watched the story of Helen Keller come to life on the outdoor stage behind Ivy Green in Tuscumbia. This summer, that trad...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *