Hi John, I am wishing you and your loved ones a joyful, restful holiday season.

With the holidays just a few days away, I know this is a special time for so many families. Including ours.

I’m looking forward to spending time with my wife, Eve, and our kids, Lexi and Eli. We gather together, enjoy good food, and make a lot of references to one of my favorite movies, The Big Lebowski.

This is a bittersweet holiday season for me: it’s my first Hanukkah since my dad, Ed, passed away earlier this year. His memory is a blessing to us all, and I am going to think of him often as we join together as a family.

My faith was a big part of my upbringing — it’s where my parents, my brother, and I found a community when we moved to the Bay Area when I was a kid at Temple Isaiah in Lafayette, California. Eve and I have passed that tradition down to our own kids.

And like my parents before me, I’ve tried to cultivate a love and respect for public service in our family — and the values that command us to do what’s right for the next generation.

As families around the country celebrate the first night of Hanukkah in a few days, I’m reminded of the lessons I learned about this holiday growing up. Lessons about the significance of the eight lights as a symbol of unity, strength, perseverance, and freedom.

Whether you are celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, or any other holiday, may you enjoy the love of family and friends.

Happy holidays, John.

— Adam