As the reality of my beloved father’s death continues to sink in, I’m so comforted by the kind messages from friends and family — and also from readers and listeners. Even people who never met him really do seem to have a sense of what a truly wonderful person he was. Our family was very moved by the way that the historic Union Station recognized my father; years ago, he led the Bistate Initiative that funded the redevelopment of the beloved Kansas City icon, and this week, in his memory, the grand building was lit in gold.

Onward,

5 Things Making Me Happy

 1 

Speaking of lights in Kansas City, I was intrigued to read about the history of the famous “Plaza Lights” in my hometown. This year is the 100th anniversary of these lights, and I’ve seen them just about every Christmas. If you want to make people happy, string up a bunch of lights! It works in a large shopping center or in a small dorm room (my daughter Eleanor seems to put up twinkle lights everywhere she goes.)

 2 

During the holidays, my family is always looking for good movies to watch together. I liked this list of 23 best Christmas movies to watch with your teens. Odd note: I’ve never seen Home Alone — maybe this year? I was surprised to see that one of my very favorite Christmas movies (which is also a great book), The House Without a Christmas Tree, wasn’t on the list. It’s so, so good.

 3 

As a true lover of color, I eagerly await the December day when the color company Pantone announces the “Color of the Year” for the upcoming year. The color for 2026 was met with a decided lack of public enthusiasm. “Cloud Dancer” is…white. I love all colors, and every color is beautiful in the right context, but this choice did strike me as a little boring.

 4 

I’ve been visiting and revisiting the Metropolitan Museum’s breathtaking exhibition Divine Egypt. In many works, a god or pharaoh is depicted wearing the double crown that symbolizes the unified Egypt. I kept thinking, “What does it look like? What does that crown remind me of?” I finally figured it out: It looks like a bowling pin resting inside a giant Asian soup spoon.

 5 

I suffer from very cold hands and feet, so I was very interested to learn more about this condition, and what to do about it, in the piece “Why Are My Hands and Feet So Cold?”​ For one thing, it said that heating your torso is the best way to keep your hands warm — which confirms my strategy of wearing a Uniqlo puffer vest at all times.