Naperville Is Lit to the Hilt

"Does anybody else think the town is lit more than usual this time?" I wondered aloud in the car. When my family nodded in agreement, I knew I was right. My family otherwise revels in debate; we seldom agree on anything — even if the sky was clear blue on a particular day, we could contest the specific shade of blue. So it was established: this particular year our lovely little town, our Naperville, was more bedecked, more lit, more joyous than we had ever seen before. I was intrigued — this was the year of the pandemic, job losses, no parties, and a plethora of other gloomy things.

When my mind is confused, I know that research on the internet is futile — internet research is biased, catering to the point of view of the researcher, much like the news these days. So I turn to friends who I think will give me accurate information. I called up Karuna. If anybody in Naperville knew about the affairs of the lights, it had to be Karuna.

Karuna confirmed my belief: this time the town was lit to the hilt. She even told me that lights had been sold out since the last week of November. She had chatted with some unknown-friendly folks while they adorned their houses with holiday lights. Because the year was murky, the people of Naperville had stepped up to uplift the mood of the residents. And Karuna drew out maps for us — based on the released maps from The Believe House in Naperville — for the houses and neighborhoods that had gone overboard in cheering everyone up. She even wrote tiny observations like "Indian wedding house" next to the addresses.

Since the first week of December, we've been touring the routes Karuna gives us. My children ask if a particular lit house will meet Karuna aunty's approval!

If you have still not toured the Naperville neighborhoods, you are missing something. Here are some pictures Karuna took:

Originally published December 2020.