After our Christmas dinner, our daughter suggested we go to Windcrest, Texas to see the neighborhood Christmas lights. I always thought Windcrest was a neighborhood in San Antonio but it is actually a small city on the Northeast side of San Antonio. Every Christmas season they do a lights competition so their area has some of the most beautiful displays in the area.
As we drove in the main neighborhood with the displays; we saw as in previous years some of the standard displays. Then in other yards we saw new displays we had not seen before. What always strikes me is the wide variety of creativity seen through the neighborhood. As you can see in the pictures posted here some are simple as just a manger scene by a tree or elaborate animal cut-out displays. Several of the homes had Christmas carols playing in the background. I wondered to myself, if the creativity reflects on the people who are making up the displays.
Not every house has a display which shows it is not mandatory to live there to do the Christmas displays. Still plenty of homes do become involved. There are placements for different categories such as best mailbox display, most joyous, or most creative. I would not want to be a judge as there is such a large number of amazing displays.
With displays like this the streets were packed with cars but unlike traffic on the local highways people were very patient with each other. No one was honking at those getting out of their cars to take a picture under the largest mistletoe ball. Maybe it was the holiday spirit coming out and calming the drivers.
As I drove through, my wife and daughter enjoyed the sights and took pictures. I made sure we did not bump into any other cars but still was able to keep a good view on the various decorations. I also took time to savor memories of Christmas lights in the past. There is just something about the lights at Christmas time. They remind me of years ago when I would go back to see my mother at Christmas in Ohio when she was alive. One thing she always wanted me to do was to take her out in the car to see Christmas lights. So seeing the lights in Windcrest allowed me to go back to the fond memories of those times taking my mother out to enjoy the lights.
Pictures are important for future memories but there is nothing like the experience of enjoying the lights in the moment.
Reflection: What kind of memories do Christmas lights bring to your mind? What are your favorite Christmas memories?
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