Last weekend we had gathered at my parents’ house for a family gathering. About 16 of us were gathered in the living room when the doorbell rang. Sloan and Beau rushed to answer the door as I followed them. Someone in our Reser contingent peeked out the large living room window and saw who was approaching the door.

“Carolers!” the excited voice shrieked.

Sure enough, when Sloan opened the door there was a group of approximately 10 cheerful people clad in winter clothing standing below our front porch. They asked us if they could sing us something and when we agreed they gave us three different Christmas carols to choose from. The kids chose “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” and the ensemble started to perform.

Beau, Sloan, and cousin Mikayla listen to the carolers who visited my parents’ house on Dec. 10, 2023.

The group sang on key and swayed to the notes as some of the performers waved fake candle sticks. As the 10 people on the outside emitted invisible sparks of Christmas joy, the 16 of us inside made sure to absorb them all.

That’s the thing about caroling. It is such a joyful and infectious activity. The performers are able to sing with joy which is then transmitted to the spectators. I thought about it hard and I think the last time I was the recipient of carolers was probably more than 20 years ago when a group stopped by my aunt’s house during the Reser family Christmas celebration. The magic I felt more than two decades ago returned just eight days ago when we received the serenade.

Christmas caroling—in my opinion—is an act of service that can bring palpable warmth to even the most cynical Scrooge. My children and my sister’s children teamed up to sing a carol to the elderly woman (who is definitely not a Scrooge) who lives across the street from my parents’ house. I need to forget about my terrible singing voice and stand in the back of a caroling group and do my part to spread the Christmas cheer. In fact, maybe all of us should?

By the way, I asked our carolers if they were part of a specific group. Their answer? Chick-Fil-A employees! Just another reason to visit their restaurant for the best chicken sandwich in the world. It truly was a pleasure to hear them sing. Don’t Blink.