The holidays offer us a chance to pause, look around, and count our blessings.

They offer us a chance to focus on generosity and kindness, to put aside petty disagreements and quibbling quarrels and focus on forgiveness.

They give us a chance to open our hearts and feel warmth toward our fellow man.

The holidays truly are the most magical time of the year.

We’re glad to spend them with you, Northeast Michigan.

You, dear readers, are the greatest gift we could ask for. We’re grateful you’ve shared your stories with us over the past year, glad you’ve stayed involved in your community, donated to local causes, pressed your elected officials.

And we’re truly blessed to have you pick up a copy of this newspaper or have it delivered to your home and stay informed on the goings-on across Northeast Michigan through the pages of The News.

We’re thankful for every business who turns to us to tell their story through advertising.

To everyone out there celebrating Christmas and the beginning of Hanukkah on Wednesday, we hope your holidays are warm and bright, joyous and peaceful. We hope they bring you blessings and good tidings.

Merry Christmas.

Happy Hanukkah.

And godspeed, dear readers.