MADISONVILLE — For several months, a billboard has loomed over Interstate 45 going into Madisonville, advertising Madisonville Christmas Company’s grand opening for Labor Day weekend. You may have driven by the building itself, an unassuming gray warehouse close to Buc-ee’s, whose appearance remained static for what seemed an eternity by the standards of anyone who counts Christmas as their favorite holiday.

GALA NETTLES Editor’s Note: “Opinions in this column are not representative of the views of The Madisonville Meteor.” Columns like this only have limited space. Here, I can only glaze the top of this year-long story, a story where gut-wrenching anguish daily punches back and forth with smiles and hope, where even the smallest of pocket change is coveted to keep gas in the car.