Looking On The Bright Side: LI Man Sets Up Light Display In Front Yard To Bring Joy To Neighborhood
DEER PARK, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) -- Light displays are usually reserved for the holidays, but one man in Deer Park, Long Island, is using his front yard to spread joy during the coronavirus pandemic.
Christmas wouldn't be the same without those twinkling lights.
For nearly 40 years, Andrew Barbieri has lit up his front yard to celebrate the holiday.
"So I started doing my Christmas light display when I was 12 years old. I was always fascinated with lights," he said.
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During this pandemic, he was trying to figure out how to spread positivity -- then he saw the light.
"My neighbor across the street had a paper rainbow in the window, and then I was like, 'Ah, that's the idea,'" Barbieri said.
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Christmas light boxes were unburied and work began on a new design -- a rainbow of hope.
"We spent about a week working on it," Barbieri said. "The reason I did it was because -- to bring joy to the neighborhood."
The display alternates between the colorful rainbow lights and the words, "This too shall pass."
"Why was it paramount for you to be able to spread that holiday cheer right now?" CBS2's Steve Overmyer asked.
"Well, there was nothing I could do about this epidemic. I just was trying to think of something that could bring the neighborhood joy," Barbieri said. "Give families a place to go in the evening, they go see the rainbow. And that's what I enjoy about the Christmas display also. I love seeing families. I love seeing the children's reaction."
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Like his holiday display, he's finding a way to encourage others, for now.
"My brother's thing is, 'I can't wait to take this thing down, because then the epidemic will be gone.' So our hope is actually to take the rainbow down," Barbieri said.
Until then, all you have to do is look on the bright side.