L ET TE R F R O M TH E E DI TO R
Th e H o li d ay S p ir i t
I
jessica@chapelhillmagazine.com
felt like a little kid again in the presence of St. Nick last month. I was sitting in front of the man in red, listening to him tell stories in the North Pole. In reality, I was just trying to stay out of photographer John Michael Simpson’s way as he captured local Santa Steve Gillham, all decked out in his suit trimmed in fur. Steve (pictured right) and his wife, Debra Gillham, built a teched-out studio in their Chapel Hill home during the pandemic last year so he could connect with families as far away as New Zealand. The pair revealed how Debra feeds Steve information through his earpiece during the virtual visits, astounding even skeptical older siblings. And that afternoon, I was what Steve would call a “believer,” too. After the holiday hiatus in 2020, we’re all looking forward to spending time with family and friends this year. Read about how Anna Richards gathers her nearest and dearest for a Kwanzaa karamu feast that she calls a “soul food extravaganza” while across town, the Davidson family makes memories and delicious latkes. The sharing of traditions begins on page 48. As for me, my partner, Jason, and I don’t exchange gifts for Christmas. For the past few holiday seasons, we’ve opted to buy presents for older adults in the community as part of Home Instead senior care’s Be a Santa to a Senior program. We visit a participating business in town, choose a name or two off the tree and return a few days later with some items off their wish list. I picked a 92-year-old who wanted pajamas and word puzzle games, and Jason is shopping for a man who happens to have the same name as my late grandfather. At press time, the Starbucks on East Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill and in Eastgate Crossing along with the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough are acting as tree location sites and will collect gifts through Dec. 12. Why not add just one more name to your shopping list and spread a little cheer? ’Tis the season, after all. CHM T HE COVER P h o to by J o h n Mic ha el Sim pson 6
chapelhillmagazine.com
December 2021