Sunday, December 05, 2004

Christmas is in the Air

Christmas is in the air!

Actually, it’s simmering in a pot on my stove courtesy of “Christmas in the Air” simmering potpourri from Spice World.

But, no. Really. Christmas is in the air. We brought home our Christmas tree tonight – a lovely Frasier fir covered in soft deep green scented needles.

Christmas is a special time for me. It was Christmas, 10 years ago, that made me fall in love with EH.

It was 1994. I was 21 years old and clueless about life. I was engaged to be married to my childhood sweetheart – courtesy of his seriously pushy and super-Italian gigantic mob-like family. It was practically an arranged marriage. His mother gave me the ring, he proposed in front of his parents, and his mother and 6 sisters had planned every second of my upcoming wedding. I was confused, scared and questioning every feeling in my heart. It was like a Lifetime movie of the week.

I worked as a waitress in an Olive Garden restaurant. EH worked their too as a bartender. We barely knew each other. The holiday season was upon us and I was feeling as blue as can be. We were closing up for the night and I remember staring sadly out the restaurant window, tears in my eyes, wondering if I was doing the right thing or not.

My betrothed was a kind and wonderful man. Not the most mature boy, as he was still very much a kid himself. He was a guy’s guy. Very likeable. He loved me without doubt. But I was just not sure we were doing the right thing. I loved him too, but just didn’t feel as if I was in love enough to be married to him.

EH was leaving for the night and spotted me staring sadly. He stopped and asked if I was okay and I shrugged and told him I just didn’t feel very much like Christmas.

A few days later, on Christmas Eve, the staff was exchanging cards and gifts and EH passed out his stack of cards to everyone but me. I was a little taken aback until he handed me a small wrapped gift. It was a children’s Christmas video. “The Year without a Santa Claus”.

I fell in love. That fast and that suddenly. Something in the gesture and the thought behind it just literally stole my heart out of the blue. I started talking to him more and more, trading little notes at work, hanging out after work and finally the day came that he kissed me and sealed the deal.

It actually gets more dramatic than that, considering the wedding was still “on” and scheduled for February 12th. A $150,000 wedding, to be precise, involving 150 guests, 9 bridesmaids and groomsmen, and a 7-day Las Vegas honeymoon. But I’ll save that story for another time.

EH gave me a video and I gave him my heart. 10 years ago this Christmas. It seems like only 2 or 3 years ago to me still.

And so, whenever Christmas is in the air (or simmering in a pot on the stove) it reminds me of that magical Christmas when the spirit of the season came in the form of a kid’s video from an unexpected place and I fell truly and deeply in love.

Santa was very good to me that year.

Posted by Red :: 7:35 PM :: | ---------------------------------------