Author: Jason Cox

Last week ended the 12^th day of Christmas and Epiphany on Saturday. I sat by the fire this weekend, in the frigid 40 degree Southern California weather, contemplating my plans for our holiday decoration removal. Unintentionally poetic, we have ended up with 12 large bins that store our lights, trees, ornaments, greenery and candles. It’s beyond ridiculous. We don’t have any lords a leaping, but we do have some ladies dancing and if you will listen closely to our Scottish background music, there might be some pipers piping. I tripped over a few turtle doves on my way to get some coffee by the maids a milking, all in an attempt to amplify my motivation. 

Lighting hooks, ladders, boxes… logistics were flooding into my mind like those drummers drumming. I knew I needed to get moving, but my head was swimming around like those seven swans a swimming. I took a stroll outside to survey the outdoor décor removal. It was dusk, so likely nothing would happen today but I was building my mental checkbox and dropping items into my packing list like those geese a laying.

At this point, I need to mention that we welcomed a new girl into our family this Christmas. Her name is Elizabeth and she is a Cocker Spaniel we adopted from the local animal rescue center in Santa Paula. She is a sweetheart and I can’t help but sometimes call her Ms. Lady, from Lady and the Tramp. Anyway, she was helping me with the survey mission but as the cold wind blew, she talked me into going back inside. As is her new custom, she drug her blanket over to our fireplace and began walking in fast and determined circles on it like those five golden rings, until it was “just right”. Off to sleep she went. I shut the door and wondered what she would think about missing those beautiful black birds that had landed on our lawn. Maybe she was dreaming about the French hens instead.

Oh no! Somehow Epiphany became Sunday and the runway was running out to get all the holiday goodness packed up and stored. Oddly, it didn’t seem quite right. I discussed with my family and my true love said to me, “I’m not quite ready to take it down.” I was elated! Looking at the cheerful twinkling lights, glowing candles and shimmering ornaments, I agreed completely. It was clear that the décor needed to be enjoyed and age a few more days before it was ripe for picking and packing. 

I know what you are thinking. You have neighbors like us. They keep the lights up way to long. Yes, to keep the season special, it must be put away to be enjoyed again next time. We normally do that sort of thing religiously, but sometimes it is good to give yourself some license, some kindness and grace to pause and enjoy the moment. We wanted to sip a little more on the beauty that is all around. Do you feel it too? It’s wonderful! 

We will pack tomorrow, but today, we will enjoy the wonder of the season for a bit more. I encourage you all to do the same. Even if your holiday wares are all packed up and tidy, spend a few minutes this week reflecting, meditating and appreciating the goodness and joy that every season brings. Life is glorious, precious and can easily be missed. Enjoy it!

Oh yeah, and I’m still looking for the partridge in the pear tree…

Have a great week!

My dad and I share the same birthday. I once asked him if he liked celebrating his birthday. Without missing a beat, he laughed and exclaimed, “It’s better than the alternative!” 

Growing up, we would count down to the date together. He loved to call a week before to remind me that our birthday was almost here. Nine years ago, I got that last call from him. He told me a joke. We laughed together. We talked about our birthday, getting old and his new aches and pains. We reminisced and celebrated the decades long journey together. Six months later, his body would give out and he would close his final chapter. He had reached the alternative.

Today as I celebrate yet another trip around the sun, I’m reminded of my dad. I know he would be laughing and tell yet another corny joke. I miss him and will always think of him on my birthday. It is a precious thing. A golden moment that I can hug and cherish every year. 

Many of you, like me have had to say farewell to parents, friends and loved ones. Today reminds me of how precious those connections really are. It can be small things, like that simple call on your birthday, that forge a shared experience that will last the rest of your life. Can you think of a way to connect with a loved one today? Invest in those small things. Create those future memories today. Reach out to your loved ones while they are still with us. Wrap up those memories. Hold them tight against your heart and open them anytime you need a bit of encouragement. They will be a source of laughter, smiles and yes, sometimes even a tear.

Make those connections. Capture those memories. Celebrate them. We have a finite number of times around the sun, let’s make the most of them.

My first birthday celebrating it together with my dad. First time for him too. And that’s Aunt Annie and a very cool car I seem to have misplaced. – Jason

I confess, we are troublemakers. We think differently. And we like to do things that are different. We don’t adapt to the world around us, we attempt to adapt the world to us. We love to challenge the status quo, join the rebel alliance, experiment with new ideas and promote constructive discomfort. We sit at the helm of the ship, facing the wind, breaking the ice and steering toward a brighter future. Even setbacks and head winds, steel our resolve to go further, faster. That is what we do and how we continually evolve to elevate ourselves, our teams and our company.

But around us, behind us and beneath us are the planks that support that steady progress and resolve. They may be taken for granted or go unnoticed. They support us, bind us and encourage us in ways we can’t even fully imagine. They are the rhythm of our lives. They are the fabric threads that encourage our hearts, bind our wounds, calm our anxieties and fill our sails with powerful gusts of energy. They are our traditions, our habits, our memorials and spiritual devotions. We lean on them and grow with them, year after year. We celebrate them. We gather around them as a human family, warming ourselves by their perpetual flame of stability, belonging and continuity.

Traditions. They are all around us. We are in the midst of the season of them right now. My family just celebrated several of them this past Thanksgiving week with rituals of family, fun and feasting around the dining room table. Like many of you, we celebrate with familiar holiday fare, play games, put together puzzles, participate in shopping excursions, go to the theater, watch holiday movies, bake cookies, send out Christmas cards, decorate the house and visit with family.

I love our traditions. They connect us to the past. They create bonds, shared values and experiences that forge us together as a stronger human family. Having traditions and looking forward to them brings comfort, hope and a sense of structure to our often unpredictable lives. I know what you are thinking. Yes, to be fair, there can be chaos in traditions too. But even those mishaps can add to the strength of our human story.

What are the traditions that bring you excitement, comfort and joy? Maybe you don’t have many? Well, guess what? You can make some new ones. Start this year. Assemble those planks under your feet. Stand up new guardrails of joy that you can count on and look forward to, year after year. Establish some personal or family traditions right now. Embrace some way that you can memorialize them and repeat them every year. I’m convinced that you will discover the same thing I have. The adventure is more rich, rewarding and enduring when you have traditions to keep, treasure and power you along the journey.

Happy traditions, everyone!

It was time to head to the airport. The smell of ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon hung heavy in the air. I could hear the sound of an excited crowd as I rounded the corner and entered the lobby. There it was! A huge ginger bread carousel, slowly spinning around and surrounded by adoring fans. It was decorated with icing and comical Disney’s DuckTales characters. A huge grin hit my face as I watch the rest of Disney’s Beach Club Resort guests react to this delightful discovery. It was spectacular! It was like getting a warm holiday hug from a dear friend.

This week starts Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights that celebrates the victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance. I love that! And next week, many of us celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday, gathering together to offer up our gratitude for the year over a feast of familiar favorites.

I love this time of year! As the days grow darker and colder, the warmth of friends, family, and festivities draw nearer. Now is a great time to soak in the gentle moments and reflect on the blessings of the previous year. We have much to be thankful for and much to celebrate.

Isn’t it wonderful to be alive? Each year we are given a feast of new things to enjoy, challenges to tackle, friends to meet, places to see, and experiences to remember. The table is full. Don’t miss these delicious moments. The ingredients and spices are different every time. Maybe you don’t love some of the flavors, but find the bits you like, seep and sip on those.

Now, before we launch into the Christmas season with all the black Friday shopping specials, carols, chaos, and cheer, we should take time to pause to remember. Be thankful and celebrate the feast of life that was this past year. The future is bright and more wonder awaits like that carousel in the lobby, but this year won’t come again. Remember it, cherish it, and celebrate it!

Have a great week… and Happy Thanksgiving!

It seems like yesterday I was just taking down the Christmas lights and storing them up in the attic. This weekend, I made that familiar journey back up those stairs. As is our custom, a multi week effort to holiday highlight our home begins the weekend after Halloween. Down come the boxes, lights, trees, stockings, ornaments, and dressings. Even the soundtrack changes. It is ridiculous, and I love it, every bit. Well, except for the dusty boxes and pesky cobwebs. But soon, twinkling lights, sparkling ornaments and festive splashes of holiday will fill every room. It even flows outside into the yard and onto the house as multi-color joy and gladness sing against the night sky. 

We are crazy. I admit that. Our neighbors stop at our house and laugh with me as I christen the Thanksgiving and Christmas season by hanging some of the first lights in the neighborhood. But I’m not alone. No, our zeal appears to be contagious. Before weeks end, fellow crazies are adorning their own houses too. And to be fair, go to any retail establishment or tune in to any streaming service (including our own) and you will see wall-to-wall holiday decorations! 

We need joy. These are dark times and getting darker. Winter is here again in the northern hemisphere. But I love this time of year! While the days grow cold and darker, décor becomes warmer and brighter. It’s like optimism stares in the face of doom and says, not today! Cheer illuminates the landscape. Lit trees and candles make their campaign against the growing shadows. The dark night is vanquished and hope eternal glows on.

How are you doing? Are these darkening days wearing on you? If so, add some light. Turn on the holiday cheer. Tune in to some festive ambience and embrace this time of the year as we make our well-worn path around the sun. Embrace the season and prepare for some fun. It’s time to make some new celebration memories… just watch out for the cobwebs. Here’s to a happy, hopeful, and bright holiday season!