December 24, 2025

My brother Pat is an artist – I’ve written about him before. One of the coolest and most spectacular pieces that he creates is his seasonal studies. He takes a subject – it could be Colorado aspen trees or Arkansas cypress trees or something else simple and yet majestic, and then creates four separate paintings, one for each season, that are meant to be grouped together. Alone they are magnificent, but together they represent continuity in nature, the constant presence of change in nature, and the irrepressible beauty of nature. I love seeing each one of these seasonal panel series that he creates.

I love the seasons. I am fascinated by the science behind why we have them (tilt of the earth, anyone?). And although I love that Malibu, California has a high temperature of 70 to 85 degrees 275 days a year, I do miss the seasons that I grew up with in Arkansas. There’s something about the seasons that keeps the days from just blending together. When you see autumn leaves falling like pieces into place, or when you step outside to be hit by sleet or frozen rain, you just don’t take all the beautiful days for granted. 

We’re hitting a “cold” snap here as Hanukkah ends and Christmas approaches. We’re expecting rain and highs in the low 60s. Kind of nice, actually, though it will put a damper on golf and pickleball. We swim in the rain here in California, unless there’s a threat of lightning. Kind of cool actually – you feel the rain and cold hitting your face when you breathe, while your body is in the 80-degree water and you’re actually sweating from the exercise. And being on a Masters team, you feel like you’re not a total crazy person out there swimming in the rain. Kind of nice, and yet I know that when New Year’s Day approaches, and the nation’s TVs are tuned to the Rose Bowl parade and football game, it will be a beautiful, warm, and sunny day. And on such a glorious day, even those west coast haters out there will say, well, California is not all bad.

I think you all know that I have none of Pat’s artist gene in me. I often say that I gave up all of mine so that the next person born in our family could be overloaded with artistic sense and talent. But when it comes to the holiday seasons, I try to let my inner artist out.

Our way of recognizing the seasons here is our holiday tree. Once the retailers start playing Christmas music – that’s usually early October these days – what the heck is wrong with us! – our holiday tree goes up. Our weather may not change that much, but the tree does. And just as my brother Pat creates a panel of season changes, our holiday tree is our canvas for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They each have their own beauty, and they all represent the best parts of our lives in different ways.

It all starts with our Halloween Tree. Children love Halloween. One of the most challenging days to teach elementary school is Halloween. Elementary students are so excited that they can’t stand it. All they want to do is walk around in the school Halloween parade then get that candy! And the day after Halloween is no picnic either. In my calendar system, Halloween would always be the last Saturday of October. But that’s a whole different topic.

The Thanksgiving Tree is the most understated of all. Maybe that’s why I like it so much. If you read me regularly, you know that Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s about family, gratitude, cooking, and eating, and there’s nothing commercial about it. And the calendar system needs nothing changed at all. It’s just perfect.

And the Christmas Tree represents all of the enchantment, miracles, religious significance, and family lore that a holiday should have. I have so many Christmas memories as I celebrate my 64^th Christmas – presents of course, a few white Christmases, Christmas lights, carols, midnight Masses, classic animated holiday specials, and an impressive array of Christmas movies – my favorites – It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf, Home Alone, Diehard, and Trading Places. Our Christmas Tree has ornaments that span back over almost 50 years. They include travel memories, homemade items, pictures, and gifts. We love talking about the ornaments and their history as they go up on the tree. 

Almost just like Pat’s seasonal panel, our holiday tree is a wonderful, meaningful, dynamic piece of art, maybe even performance art, that displays in our home each and every year. The seasons may not change outside, but the scenery certainly changes in our living room. It makes me love this holiday season even more, and it’s a constant reminder of family, enthusiasm for living, and the magic of childhood.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, a Happy Hanukkah, and an appreciation for all of the beauty, wonder, and love that the seasons, the holidays, and the holiday tree represent. 

Post #142 on www.drmdmatthews.com

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NOTES

Yes, the “autumn leaves falling like pieces into place” is from a Taylor Swift song. Jill and I are watching the “Making of the Eras” series on Disney +. I’m not a Swiftie, but I believe she is truly amazing. More on that in a future post.

The Rose Bowl is no longer predictable, and it’s now part of the college football playoff system. It’s still on January 1, and it features #1 Indiana vs #9 Alabama. It should be a fantastic game, and I hope Indiana wins. Also, you didn’t ask, but I actually like this new playoff system, even though there’s so much wrong with college football these days. 

You’re probably wondering if we turn the holiday tree into a Valentine’s Day tree, or a St. Patrick’s Day tree, or a . . .  let me stop you right there. No. No we don’t. I’d like to. But the love of my life insists that it go down, and that we have a normal living room 9 months a year. She’s right, of course. But I do think it would be awesome to have an Independence Day tree. But again, that’s crazy. Three months is enough. But is it really enough?

Jill reviewed my draft post, and when she read the “But is it really enough?” line, she said, “Yes, it is, Mike. Yes, it is.” Dangit.

You can find more of Pat Matthews’ art at https://www.patmatthewsart.com.