Chaplain’s message: Let December be your harbor of hope
December brings a special kind of magic to the Great Lakes as our harbors quiet down, docks grow still beneath winter’s touch, and the boats that carried us through another season rest peacefully until spring.
Yet even in the calm of winter, joy remains close, for this is the season when light shines its brightest. As boaters, we understand the power of light. The popular artist Thomas Kincade once said, “Light lingers where it is welcomed.” During this festive time, light appears everywhere: twinkling along our streets, glowing from our windows, and warming our hearts through fellowship and kindness.
Nautical wisdom echoes the lessons of this season. We remember they saying, “A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor.” And so we look back on the year with gratitude not only for the calm waters but for the challenges that shaped us.
We recall that “the lighthouse doesn’t fire a cannon to call attention to itself; it shines.” That reminds us that our greatest influence comes not from noise but from steady presence.
As we approach a new year, we hold close the mariner’s truth that “we cannot control the wind, but we can adjust the sails,” knowing that resilience and faith remain our compass. December is rich with meaning — Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and cherished gatherings with family and friends — all celebrating the same promise that light always overcomes darkness.
Even though our boats are on land, the spirit of the Great Lakes Cruising Club is alive and warm as we check on one another, share memories of anchorages and sunsets, and dream of next season’s journeys.
The lakes may be frozen, but our hearts remain anchored in joy. Winter gives us room to rest, reconnect, and appreciate the friendships formed along our waterways and the blessings that carried us safely from harbor to harbor.
May this festive season fill your home with peace, your life with hope, and your days with the quiet confidence that brighter voyages await.
From my family to yours, merry Christmas, happy holidays, and blessings for a bright, joy-filled New Year.
— Chaplain Eric D. Tucker, Great Lakes Cruising Club