RUTHERFORD COUNTY, TN - WGNS hopes this truly is the most wonderful time of the year for you and your family. As Christmas Eve and Christmas Day arrive, the station is filling the airwaves with around‑the‑clock holiday programming—music, memories, and the spirit of the season. And for those who want to relive a favorite local tradition, the 2025 Murfreesboro Christmas Parade is now available on‑demand. You can watch it anytime from the WGNS website or on YouTube.
This season means so much to so many across Rutherford County, and the stories your neighbors have shared remind us that Christmas is more than a date on the calendar. It is a collection of moments—some joyful, some painful, all deeply human—that shape who we are and how we love.
One Murfreesboro resident remembers Christmas 1971, when her father returned safely from serving in Viet Nam. She and her mother had been living with her grandmother while he was away, and the tearful reunion that Christmas remains one of the most cherished memories of her life.
Another listener from La Vergne recalls Christmas Day 2010, when he asked the woman he loved to marry him. She said yes, and today they share a life filled with two teenagers, plenty of challenges, and even more gratitude. He says he wouldn’t trade a moment of it.
A family in Christiana shared a memory that still brings both shivers and thankfulness. On December 9, 2023, as tornadoes tore across Readyville and Christiana, they huddled together in a bathroom closet. Their home and Christmas gifts were lost, but their lives were spared. Looking back, they say the storm taught them what truly matters.
Another Murfreesboro resident reflected on the loss of her mother just before the holidays. She had hoped her mother might make it to Christmas, but instead the family was blessed with meaningful moments right up to her final day. Knowing her mother is now free from pain brings peace in a season that can be difficult for those grieving.
A couple from Smyrna shared a memory that still weighs heavily on their hearts. Their 17‑year‑old son was killed in a crash on I‑24 just after Christmas in 1996. Grief, they say, does not follow a timeline. Yet they have chosen to honor their son by working with MADD, encouraging young drivers and teaching safe driving practices in hopes of saving other families from similar heartbreak.
From Eagleville came a story of love that spans both earth and heaven. A widower remembers the December day in 1986 when his daughter asked for his blessing to marry. He felt his late wife’s presence so strongly that he describes it as a moment of shared joy between this world and the next. Today, he has a granddaughter who looks just like the woman he lost, a reminder that love continues in new generations.
Another Murfreesboro resident shared a moment of transformation. During a Christmas Eve service, he says he found the Lord and left behind years of trouble and addiction. He has now been sober for more than five years and calls that night the turning point of his life.
One listener remembers the Polar Bear Plunge as a treasured tradition with his father. They jumped together every year until his father’s passing in 2022. Now he continues the tradition with his daughter, keeping the memory alive and building new ones along the way.
And from Lascassas came a story of a father who inspired his sons through the New Year’s Day 5K at Barfield Park. They ran it with him every year—one in high school, one in middle school—and now, even as college students, they continue the race in his honor. They say it has become one of the most meaningful Christmas gifts their father ever gave them.
These stories remind us that Christmas is not defined by perfection. It is shaped by the people we love, the moments that change us, and the memories that stay with us long after the lights come down.
WGNS invites you to share your own Christmas memory—joyful, funny, bittersweet, or deeply personal. Your name will not be used. Send your story to news@wgnsradio.com, and help spread the warm spirit of this season throughout our community.
