The holiday season is in full swing at the Cormany-Princehorn household. The Christmas tree is up, decorations have been hung, and our Elf-on-the-Shelf, PJ, is hiding from grandchildren again. Most of our shopping is also complete, so we will not have to deal with last-minute dashes to the local shopping mall. However, this Christmas will be harder to enjoy than others. That’s partly because both my wife and I are dealing with various aches and pains. Some of mine stem from a fall I took from my bicycle a few days after Thanksgiving. I have also had to deal with occasional dizziness and a ringing sound in my left ear that comes and goes. (A visit to an ENT doctor is scheduled for Tuesday.)

But the deepest shadow on Christmas 2016 came about two weeks ago, when one of my wife’s partners at Bricker and Eckler — a man she often worked with — killed his wife and then himself at Alum Creek State Park. Worse, the murder of the wife apparently took place in front of the couple’s two daughters, ages three and five. The reasons for this tragedy are not clear yet, although domestic violence seems to be one factor. In any case, so great was the shock and sorrow over this tragedy, that Bricker and Eckler canceled their staff Christmas party.

There are, of course, reasons to be happy as December 25 approaches. My stepdaughter Sarah and her fiance Dan will be joining us for the holiday. So will my stepson Andy and his big dog Millie. On Christmas Eve, there will be the traditional family dinner at our house with in-laws, children, grandchildren, and perhaps my niece and nephew. On Christmas day, we will open presents in the morning and then be off to Auntie Val’s in the afternoon for a delicious meal. More presents will be given and received from cousins and their families. Lots of memories will be shared and stories told.

I will not feel bad about feeling good this Christmas. Because happiness, like life itself, is a fleeting, uncertain thing. If I fail to grasp the happiness offered by this holiday season, how do I know it will be offered again in 2017? Or that I will even be here to accept it? I don’t know because so much can happen between this Christmas and the next and because in this world there are no guarantees.