Merry Christmas!

It's Christmas morning and I'm the only one up at a quarter-to-nine, which is strange in a house where Katy's dad is usually up and away by 6 and her mom by 7. I like being the first one up... the peace is welcome, as is first dibs on the coffee.

So another Christmas notch on the belt... getting quite a few of those. You know, honestly, I've grown to dread Christmas over the years... always seems to bring with it pain and loneliness that no song, no decoration or no gift can overcome. I've come to dread the commercialism of the whole ordeal. I've come to dread the sense of loss felt when loved ones aren't by your side. Christmas is filled with more ghosts for me than any other time of the year. Things which should bring happiness instead often remind me of less happy times and places. Ghosts... that's a good way to put it. I hate the ghosts Christmas brings with it. Ghosts of individuals who have passed on, ghosts of places left behind, ghosts of love lost, of sorrow found, and of the way things were. Oh how the ghosts do come out when the jingle bells ring.

But this year isn't the same. This year I have Katy. Sure, the ghosts are still there, but for once I have a future that is more hopeful than my past is painful. I have the beginnings of my own family now and can look forward to our life together instead of looking back on my life alone. This year I have hope. It's the most wonderful Christmas present I could have possibly asked for.

Merry Christmas to all of you, my friends and family. I wish you all a new year of fulfilled hopes, answered prayers, joy, wonder, and happiness. May we all find comfort and safety in our loved ones as we go through these rough times. May we open our minds and our hearts to new ideas in this new and ever-changing age but may we never forget the values and the lessons of our past which we worked so hard to survive. May we know forgiveness, kindness, tolerance, temperance, and mercy like we've never known them before. May you sleep and wake safely beneath the watch of angels. I love you all, each and every one in your own particular way.

Michael