A Christmas Poem

My father served in the military in World War II; my oldest son served on a submarine during the first Iraq war; my oldest brother served in Germany during the 1970's; and I have family members on my mother's side that represented our country all the way back to the time of George Washington. Ancestors from my mother's side served during the Civil War as well.
After the events of 9/11 I think we've become anesthetized to the danger that lurks out there in the world. Those American soldiers that defend us and protect us, need to be remembered by us. This poem was shared with me and certainly deserves our thought and consideration.

The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light,
I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight.
My wife was asleep, her head on my chest,
My daughter beside me, angelic in rest.
Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white,
Transforming the yard to a winter delight.


The sparkling lights in the tree I believe,
Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve.
My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep,
Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep.
In perfect contentment, or so it would seem,
So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream.


The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near,
But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear..
Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the
sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow.
My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear,
And I crept to the door just to see who was near.


Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night,
A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight.
A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old,
Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold.
Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled,
Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child.


"What are you doing?" I asked without fear,
"Come in this moment, it's freezing out here!
Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve,
You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!"
For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift,
Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts..


To the window that danced with a warm fire's light
Then he sighed and he said "Its really all right,
I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night."
"It's my duty to stand at the front of the line,
That separates you from the darkest of times.


No one had to ask or beg or implore me,
I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me.
My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December,"
Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers."
My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ',
And now it is my turn and so, here I am.


I've not seen my own son in more than a while,
But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile..
Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag,
The red, white, and blue... an American flag.
I can live through the cold and the being alone,
Away from my family, my house and my home.


I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet,
I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat.
I can carry the weight of killing another,
Or lay down my life with my sister and brother..
Who stand at the front against any and all,
To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall.."


" So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright,
Your family is waiting and I'll be all right."
"But isn't there something I can do, at the least,
"Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast?
It seems all too little for all that you've done,
For being away from your wife and your son."


Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret,
"Just tell us you love us, and never forget.
To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone,
To stand your own watch, no matter how long.
For when we come home, either standing or dead,
To know you remember we fought and we bled.
Is payment enough, and with that we will trust,
That we mattered to you as you mattered to us."

Thank you for reading this I hope you have a safe, healthy, and prosperous year.

Holiday Season-To List or Not to List

Clients often ask me whether they should list their home during the holiday season and early winter months. For others the question is, "Should I take my home off the market for the next three months?" There is no one set answer to either of these questions, but my general feeling would be to go ahead and list the property or keep it on the market, as the case might be.

Everybody knows that there is a large influx of homes that come on the market starting in late March or early April. In addition many sellers do take their homes off the market in November, December, and January. The consequence of this is that the inventory is always lower during those months of the year. Another way to look at that would be to say that there is less competition out there if your house is one of the ones that is on the market. Less competition is always good when you are the seller. A second, and very important consideration, is that any buyers who are looking at that time of year are far more likely to be serious buyers and not tire kickers. Who wants to stomp around in the snow and stormy weather looking at houses "just for fun" some Sunday afternoon? It would be an accurate generalization to say that the only buyers during those winter months are buyers who have to buy. What more could a seller ask for?

As a general rule, most people's homes are well decorated and very attractive during the month of December due to the holiday season. This helps the property show more like a "home" than a house, which generally would help in good sales appeal. In Durango, we often have a nice group of people coming to look at property during the month of December because they are combining their "real estate searching trip" with their trip to the ski area or visitation with friends etc. Our Team is very busy this month with buyers coming to town.

Who would be a good candidate not to have their house on the market during the holiday season? Often times you may have many family members coming to visit and is almost like they have camped out in your house. If you've got eight, 10, or 12 guests literally camped all over the place in sleeping bags etc. then that's not a good time to be showing the property. This is especially true if it is a small house and the extra people would make the place seem really cramped for space.

If you are an owner thinking about selling your Durango real estate, I would suggest giving Team Lorenz a call and let us put our 30+ years of experience to work for you. We are not just great marketing and effective websites, we are great at getting transactions closed during this very difficult market time when close to 50% of all transactions do not close. To learn a little more about what we do for you as a seller click the following link. Listing my Durango real estate.