From the Publisher: Merry Christmas to all of our readers

On behalf of the staff and board of directors of the Navajo Times Publishing Company Inc., and our dedicated Navajo Times newspaper carriers, I wish everyone a safe, warm and blessed Merry Christmas!

Depending on when you are reading our newspaper this holiday week – it’s either before, during or after Christmas – our message to you is one that holds true and genuine.

Because Christmas day falls in the middle of the week this year, we have had to move up our weekly deadlines and alter our print schedule. We began printing this week’s issue on Monday and finished up on Tuesday morning.

Our office is closed Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday so that our staff and carriers can spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with their families and loved ones.

Some of our local area carriers will start delivery of the Dec. 26 issue of the Navajo Times on Tuesday and will then finish up their respective delivery routes on Thursday. We have nine carriers who deliver the Navajo Times each Thursday to newsstands located throughout the Four Corners area, Albuquerque, Flagstaff and Page.

What’s cool and amazing about our nine carriers is that they are all Navajo women. They all have families, children and grandchildren and they do their jobs well on a consistent basis regardless of the weather and road conditions. We are proud of all of them and we want them to be at home with their families on Christmas Eve.

We will have a similar work schedule next week during the New Year’s holiday. We will go to print on Monday and Tuesday and our carriers will deliver some of the newspapers on Tuesday afternoon and will complete their delivery routes on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Our office will be closed on Wednesday – New Year’s Day 2020 – and we will be open for regular business on Thursday and Friday, Jan. 2-3.

As we celebrate the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, let us take time to set aside our differences and negative feelings, and strive to remember and respect our family relationships and enjoy our friendships. Give your family and friends a good hug or a firm handshake and really mean it when you do.

And as we gather to commemorate the holidays, let us remember all those who are struggling to survive each day on Mother Earth. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers as they battle depression, poverty, sickness, loneliness and incarceration.

Christmas can also be a rough time to deal with the loss of close family members, relatives and friends. Let us remember them in a good, happy way and recognize them for all of the happiness and good times that we shared with them while they were with us on Mother Earth.

It’s been many years since my Mother passed away, and Thanksgiving and Christmas have never been the same since we lost her. I know that there are many of you who know what I am talking about and experience what we feel. My family and I miss our Mother every day but during the holidays, that empty feeling just seems to be a bit more prominent.

What makes the Christmas holidays jolly and fun are the warm hugs and big smiles of our children and grandchildren. Their excitement and happiness is sincere and their joyous laughter can light up a room in a matter of seconds. The little ones can be expected to break a Christmas tree ornament or two – or five – and they may even rip open some Christmas gifts before it’s time to open them up.

But that is what Christmas is all about. It’s about having good, honest fun and lots of cheerfulness and our innocent young kids are good at bringing that out happy spirit.

Wherever you are this Christmas holiday, I truly hope that you are safe and happy and are sharing good, meaningful quality time with family and friends.

May the Almighty Creator bless you and your household with lots of happiness, prosperity and protection each and every day.

Merry Christmas my family and friends!

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