Christmas...

Christmas is one of my favorite holidays. I love decorating my house, putting lights up, trimming a tree, baking cookies. I love the smell of a "fresh" Christmas tree on Christmas morning with loads of presents underneath. I love seeing the stockings filled by Santa with treats and toys and silly little things you never really need. I love shopping for gifts for others and then watching the surprise as they open them. I love baking cookies, making candy and fudge and truffles. I love driving through my neighborhood at night and seeing all the houses lit up and beautiful. I love hearing the Christmas carols on the radio and hearing people say "Merry Christmas" to each other. This is the one time of year that people are genuinely nice to each other. Who knows if it's because they understand the real meaning behind the Christmas season, but whatever the reason may be, people tend to be a bit nicer this time of year. Maybe it's because they believe that Santa won't bring them anything if they aren't good. Or maybe it really is that they are infected by the Holy Spirit and the celebration of Christ's birth. Whatever it may be, I don't really care. I just love this holiday season.

But this year, my house remains dark. I have no tree a week before Christmas. The presents are wrapped and in boxes in my room instead of littered around the tree. I have no time to put lights up and I don't want to get my tree alone. The most I have done is hang lights at Mike's house, but I know they're only lit when I'm there. I've hung our stockings above the TV at his house, but I know they'll remaining empty on Christmas morning.

On Christmas morning this year, I'll get up late, make breakfast for myself, open the couple of presents that happen to be sitting in front of the TV or on the kitchen table or wherever I dropped them, maybe make a trip up to Mike's mom's house to celebrate, and then I'll go home to get ready for work the next day. There is nothing special about the holiday this year. Nothing fun and traditional at all. No tree. No lights. No stockings. No Christmas feast. So much for loving Christmas...I'm off to bed now to sign the cards that only I care that I send and possibly finish the stocking that Mike's niece won't care that I made especially for her. Good night.