By Scott Shephard

When I was a kid I was always baffled by my Dad’s answer to the annual question: “What do you want for Christmas?” His answer: “Nothing.” How could you say this!? At my age I was well-groomed American consumer - I wanted EVERYTHING. Being that my parents weren’t rich, I got much less than I asked for, of course. But Christmas was always good.

As I’ve gotten older, I realize that in so many ways I am just like my father. And at Christmas time, I’ve come to realize that what I need is much more important than the material things I might want.

In this photo, I am looking at one of the things I need the most: three beautiful grandchildren. And I am fortunate that they are generally agreeing to cooperate for a minute or 2 with the not-so-simple task of taking a group photo before they go to church. The smiles are real and the dresses, made by their grandma Mary, are being worn for the first time.

I hope that this season gives you what you need the most. Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll get something you want, too.

Canon R5 f/4.0 1/160 ISO 800