All I Want for Christmas Is…

Mariah Carey, the Roots and Jimmy Fallon are playing “All I Want for Christmas Is You” with classroom instruments. And I love it. My family is around me. And I love that even more.

Anyone that knows me, and you don’t even have to know me well, knows that I love Christmas. I love everything about it. I love Christmas Eve. I love Christmas music. I love Christmas movies. I love Christmas trees. I love Christmas holly. I love Christmas wreaths. I love Christmas garlands. I love Christmas ornaments. I love Christmas lights. I love Christmas candles. I love Christmas stockings. I love Christmas presents. I love Christmas pictures. I love Christmas cards. I love Christmas postcards. I love Christmas Mass. I love Christmas in big cities. I love Christmas in small neighborhoods. I love Christmas cheer. I love Christmas Day. I love Christmas time.

I love snow. I love mistletoe. I love fireplaces. I love candles. I love giving. I love hoping. I love living. I love loving. I love families. I love friends.

I’ve been known to have (live) Christmas trees at my place till April or May. I’ve been known to have Christmas music playing randomly year-round. I’ve been known to have Christmas decorations up year-round. I even have a store in town that I frequent called The Holiday Shoppe.

A few days ago, I was with my family in DC. Christmas is around us.

We are listening to Christmas music right now. And my sister and her three-year-old are dancing. And my brother-in-law is holding their baby boy. We are now opening presents. And by we, I mean my niece is opening some of her presents, the ones my parents bought. She just opened a tricycle. And then Play-doh. And then a storybook with her namesake. And then puzzles. And a bunch of other things. She is so unbelievably happy. And her smile lights up the room, even moreso than the Christmas lights on the Christmas tree behind her. It’s wonderful.

I still look at Christmas through the eyes of children. I’m looking at Christmas through my niece’s eyes.

“Jingle Bell Rock” by Bobby Helms is playing.

Last year I was with my family Christmas week, flying back to San Francisco on Christmas Day. This year Christmas Day, my dog Taylor and I will be alone watching a marathon of “Love Actually”, “Elf”, “Christmas Vacation”, “Miracle on 34th Street”, “The Bishop’s Wife”, and “It’s a Wonderful Life”. And we’ll be thinking of the wonderful times we’ve had with our family and friends these past few weeks.

I.
Love.
Christmas.

Christmas.
Loves.
Me.
Back.

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