What we do Matters.

[Al Saunders]

HI Everyone,

I'm sure most of us do our over the top displays and light shows because we enjoy seeing them and our family members do too but you never know who will stop by out front of your house to see your lights. My wife and I, unfortunately, recently were at our bosses mothers funeral. Her husband hired us over 20 years ago and he passed away in 2013. He was a great guy. The lovely lady that recently passed was one of the sweetest and kindest persons I have ever known.

Anyway, while at the visitation before the service we were talking to our bosses wife, we have been friends with the family for many years. In passing she said they took her out to see our lights this past season. We weren't home otherwise they would have stopped in. She then thought about it for a second and told us she's pretty sure that was the last thing they did together as a family before she got sick (again). She battled cancer extremely bravely for about 8 years. She's with Jesus now because we learned she accepted him as her Lord and Savior more than 10 years ago! It really hit me latter that our Christmas light show was there so this family can have that as one of the last fond memories of her. True I love making the lights blink but I absolutely love knowing that people are enjoying our show. If Chuck Smith hasn't told you or you haven't read it in his magazine articles let me tell you this. What we do matters! Yes, have fun but it's also a bit serious. Remember you are making life long memories for the people and especially the kids watching your show. Know that 10, 15 even 20 years from now some person will ask their mother or father "Hey, remember that house you took us to back when we were kids?" "We loved doing that!"

I don't mean to bring anyone down just wanted to share something that touched my heart and really made me feel good.

Hope everyone has a blessed night/day

Thanks,

Al

[Mega Arch]

Thanks for sharing Al.

I too have had a similar story shared to me. But I didn't know the family. They left a letter in my mailbox a few years back about the passing of her father. The letter stated that our show had her father's favorite songs in it and helped her through the first year without him... She specifically mentioned Amazing Grace. Thinking about it - I might just have to dust that one off again and update it to my current setup. 

[Godney]

Ai:  i know what you mean. Approx 5 years ago while i was setting up my display an older Gentlemen pulled up in a mini van to tell me about my display, between puffs of oxygen from his tank he let me know my Display gave him 1 more reason to live another year, I have not seen the Man again but i will always remember 1 more year even though setting up takes time and a lot of PAIN. So don't think what we do does not matter it does to Somebody.  Because it gave them 1 more Year!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edited May 25, 2019 by Godney

[Wayne K]

This was posted in my guestbook a few years ago. So, I do think also, that it makes a difference in some peoples lives.

Wayne

 

Comments:
I first saw the house coming back from Xxxx Xxxxx. It moved me to tear's. You see ive had a really long road in the past 9 year's.
I had given up at one point & didn't even look forward to Christmas. I didn't have one for over 8 year's. I didn't believe anymore that the Christmas spirit was real. Just all what people could get, instead of what they had already been given from the beginning.

The night I saw the house , well we drove by 5 time's . I cried every time. Not of sadness, but sheer child like excitement & amazement.
That night we put up the first Christmas tree ive had in 9 year's. People just don't realize how Christmas light can re-cenddle & inspier the meaning, love, & perpouse that is the Meaning of Christmas!
Hope Every-one has a Very Blessed Christmas!

 

 

 

[GriswoldStyle]

A situation recently came up with our display. Our landlord where we have lived for four years had plans to sell us the house in 2022. However now that the market is up around here he wants double what the house appraises for so unfortunately both us and our display is going to have to move in August of 2020.

We sadly notified everybody on our shows Facebook page 2 weeks ago. It wasn't until then we realized just how many people were highly upset about the display moving and how many people our show really touched each year. From parents of special-needs children, autistic children and some people that just told us our display is their holiday tradition to visit each year. We have been getting lots of support messages and people vowing to follow our displays no matter where we go. We also have one person who reached out to us that is having a new home built and wants us to rent out their current home so they don't have to sell it. Their time frame for building gives us the perfect opportunity to rent their pool home which is much larger than our current home and gives us a much better viewing area with no HOA as the house is on the outskirts In citrus hills and no neighbors across the street or on the sides of us. Shockingly it's actually right down the road from another display house in citrus hills that another forum member on here has which would be a total upgrade for us. It's one of the nicest areas in our county to live in and is much higher end homes

It's not set in stone yet but this really shocked me since it was just somebody who has come to visit our lightshow and come to find out we actually talked to them before and had no idea who they were just thought they were a happy viewer. You never know who is visiting your display and what could possibly come of it. For that opportunity to arise it really made me sit back and think about how many hours go into this and how it really touches people. I do these light shows as my way of just giving back and letting other people enjoy it but it's nice to know that others are so deeply affected by what we do. nothing is set in stone yet but this gives us a wonderful opportunity as well as lets us know just how much people really appreciate what we do.

Edited May 26, 2019 by GriswoldStyle

[dibblejr]

I did a face sequence as a request from my friend Don here on the forums. The request was from a little girl with terminal cancer living in Children's Hospital in Little Rock. It was one of her last requests. The hospital took her via bus to see Dons light show, a huge hit. She passed not long after seeing it but her wish came true.

Yes, you never know what good you may be bringing to others.

JR

[Dennis Laff]

JR your work on singing trees sequences has brought joy to a whole lot of people on this forum  ,thank you  Dennis Laff 

[Mega Arch]

On 5/26/2019 at 10:24 AM, Dennis Laff said:

JR your work on singing trees sequences has brought joy to a whole lot of people on this forum  ,thank you  Dennis Laff 

+1

OUTTA LIKES - SO BAMM!

 

[Al Saunders]

Glad to share and really loved reading other stories. Hey Griswoldstyle, that is such an amazing blessing! Very cool!

Al

[dgrant]

I couldn't tell you how many times I've run into people near me that have seen my show without knowing it was actually my house. Numerous nice comments and so on and many saying how enjoyable it was for everyone. All I did was bring up Christmas and lights. There's another famous home here for a light show too which they all know and enjoy as well. Anyway, we've touched a lot of lives and all in a good way. I'm pleased that all of our efforts do that simple thing, that means so much.