Season's Greetings!

Yesterday twas the first of December today. While I consider it acceptable to start celebration and preparation for Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, with the coming chaos of "Black Friday", I know many feel that it's not quite the season until December starts. This season, as previously mentioned in my post about Thanksgiving, brings me so much joy. It is a shot of seratonin to my brain, a warm embrace to my soul, a comforting blanket of love wrapped around my heart. As my roommate and housemates know, I decorated on Sunday, and my levels of holiday cheer and happiness almost approached scary levels, however, it did give fruition to such joy in my apartment.



I have a decorated Christmas tree, which while unfortunately fake, stands around six and a half feet tall full of merriment.



In addition, a good deal of my apartment looks like this and is covered in lights. Despite all of my insanity and unbridled and uninhibited joy, irregardless of all the negative in my past and personal issues, there are a few simple reasons why I enjoy Christmas so much. One of the principle reasons for celebration is a closeness that the holiday season brings. Goodwill towards your neighbor becomes commonplace. Smiles are painted on more people's faces, and everyone seems a bit more willing to chat in line at the department store to a stranger. Mankind, despite its endless failings, shows true beauty in treatment of others at this time of year.

This semester has been either too slow or too fast for me between social events, new friendships and bonds, classes, my employment on campus and research work. In the past, two of my best girlfriends Erin and Sarah, and I have enjoyed a much greater frequency of each other's company through Wednesday Girls' Lunch and the occasional movie and wine night. I see Erin much more than Sarah due to our Monday trips to the Pub, but it really is not the same without Sarah. Last night I decided to skip the gym and text Erin to see what she was up to. Sarah, Erin and I ended up at my place, glasses of wine in hand, nestled under the Christmas lights enjoying each other's company and watching It's A Wonderful Life. Was it just a simple coincidence that all three of us were free for once this semester? Probably, but I'm still going to say a little bit of it was Christmas magic bringing people together.