10/27/2025
Hi folks. As we head towards another holiday season, I have some news to share.
This will likely be the last season of the Spring Hill Christmas Light Show.
The short version is this: I am in kidney failure and really no longer have the physical ability to do much of the physical work that the show requires. Compounding this is the fact that my children/elves are older and off doing their own things, and thus my normal body of helpers is really not able to help do all of the physical work that I once did myself. Worse still is that there are equipment repairs needed, and the funds for that are really much more needed for the medical bills I am incurring.
So, barring anything miraculous happening, I really cannot see going forward with the show after this year - which will be a struggle to complete on time even as I am planning to start now.
I am also struggling with a suggestion posed to me: Instead of accepting donations for children's charities this year, I should accept them towards my ongoing medical bills. I really am not very comfortable with this since this was never about "making money" - certainly not for me - and I think this would undermine the reason behind it. However, as I have had to expand my thinking to accept physical help from numerous family, friends, and strangers, I am compelled to consider that I may be shortsighted in my thinking, and thus I want to open a discussion up with you, the folks who have come here year after year and who get the most joy out of the show. What are your thoughts?
I remain, as always, your head elf,
Joe