Some people say that the song “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” has nothing to do with Christmas, while others make that connection. So, what does that mean for other songs or movies? Is the movie “Die Hard”, which includes Christmas holiday scenes, a Christmas movie, too? It’s really up for interpretation.

Steve Labbe notes, “I learned in college that human beings are ‘meaning-making machines’.” That means we associate meaning to many things, whether a movie, song, or some other activity.

For example, it is easy for us to associate fun things we experienced at Christmas when we were young with future Christmases. We look forward to the holidays for that very reason. For Steve Labbe, it’s the family traditions of tagging and cutting down a Christmas tree with the family. “We love it. It’s a time of year when our love of movie one-liners and joking around comes out while cutting down the tree, enjoying each other’s company and taking pictures to send out for Christmas cards. It’s all part of our tradition around the holidays.”

Steve’s favorite “Christmas movie” is “Elf”. And what about all those people who associate Christmas with NORAD tracking Santa? Christmas means a lot of different things to each of us.

For Paradigm, Christmas is a special time of year with many traditions. We have a wonderful company party, such as the recent comedy show at the Tupelo, with over 90 people. It’s the time to remember and help other people by volunteering, such as bell ringing with the Salvation Army, participating in the local food pantry, and writing Christmas cards to the troops who are protecting our freedoms.

Steve notes, “Although I am business owner, I realize that I don’t have to always lead. You can just be a small part of something that benefits others, such as participating in doing something that serves the troops who are away from their own families during the holidays.”

Join us during this holiday season and throughout the new year in serving others.