So I’ve been listening to Christmas music daily since the day after Thanksgiving, and I’m pretty sure that if they played it year-round, I would probably be OK with it.

I never really realized how repetitive the playlist is, however, until today. It’s not like it should come as a surprise — after all, there’s a limited number of classics. They just happen to be recorded and arranged in different ways, therefore they’re treated as distinctly different songs, and before you know it you’re on your third version of “Frosty the Snowman” in less than an hour. Seems like they’re trying to pull a fast one on us, but really, it’s all good. And if the carols could, I think they’d agree. In fact, here’s what I suspect they’d tell us about life in general:

1) Don’t discount the tried and true — they’ve been around a long time for a reason

2) If you think you’ve heard it all before, give it a chance — there might be something new that you’re not expecting

3) Christmas isn’t the only time for carols — playing one in the middle of the summer can do the soul a lot of good, too

4) You might know all the words, but you may not know the harmonies. Give ’em a shot, and be OK when you don’t know exactly what they should be.

5) If you’re missing the season, jingle a bell or — better yet — a clump of tiny bells, and it’ll come right back

Tonight I am thankful for the 24/7 Christmas carols and the 24/7 cheer they bring. I’m thankful that the tried and true have resonated with so many, and that each year we seemingly get a new, sparkly batch of the old classics to enjoy.