If you don’t know this about me, next to Thanksgiving, Christmas is my favorite holiday. Not because of the presents (although I must say, I really love getting re-stocked with the shampoo, conditioner, and other important drug store items that Santa fills my stocking with every year), but because of all the love. I’m a sucker for love at any time of year, but at Christmas, I’m even more touched by it (I even get teary eyed when James Cann in Elf starts belting out Christmas carols near the end of the movie as Santa’s sleigh flies up from behind him – he believes, people – he really believes!!! … SANTA!!!! I know him!!! – sorry – once you get me quoting Elf I can’t stop – it’s a problem…or is it?).

 

This year, I am away from my family for the holidays. I can be sad about it, but I choose not to be. I choose to look at my life and think of all the things I am grateful for: the fact that I even have a family that loves me and whom I love very much, a boyfriend who brings so much happiness, love and laughter to my life that it should be illegal, friends who I love dearly who enrich my life, light it up, and teach me new things everyday, a roof over my head, food in my fridge, the ability to go after my goals and dreams, and, well, the gift of life!

Other things that make me happy at Christmas?

 

The magic of hearing my favorite Christmas songs on the radio. I start listening to Christmas carols on the all Christmas radio stations in November every year, eagerly awaiting the first notes of any of these 3 songs: Stevie Wonder’s Someday at Christmas and One Little Christmas tree (every time my brother and I hear these songs, we both get really silent and teary eyed), and I Want a Hippopotamus For Christmas, a new favorite. I also like All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey (I may have done a killer job lip-synching that one last night in the mirror, dancing around using my mascara as my microphone – it might have happened, just saying…).

 

Anyway, I had heard all of them this year except for the Hippopotamus song – until this morning. I was about to shut the radio off and head out the door when it happened. I heard the first note and knew it was the song. I plopped myself down on the floor and just listened, smiling like an idiot and singing along to it. It was a magical two and a half minutes 🙂 My family may be in Montreal, Toronto, Calgary and Egypt, my boyfriend may be in New York, but I just heard the Hippopotamus song – life is grand 🙂 Magic is all around us, people – you just have to find the eyes to see it!

 

So with chocolate peppermint sandwich candy cane cookies baked, and a Christmas dinner with an old friend from law school to get to, I wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas. May your day be filled with love and laughter, and may the magic of Christmas never stop feeding the child who will live forever inside you.

 

 One of the best Christmas gifts ever!

 

Making chocolate peppermint sandwich candy cane cookies – a holiday tradition!

 

 Hm…maybe if I watch them bake, they will bake faster!

 

 

 

 

 

 

YUM!

 

The finished product!

The message on a reusable bag my Aunt gave me – she knows me well!! Life IS good!

Love always,

Lauren