I Call It Christmas Love

We used to have beautiful Christmas trees, and our little family would be together on alternating years. It was wonderful being young, but wisdom and peace come with age. It’s a tender trade I wouldn’t make with just anyone; Wes and I celebrated by surprising each other with small, practical gifts that we alone knew the other needed. A lot of care and consideration went into these tiny, thoughtful gestures, and I’m grateful for them.

When I was young, I felt like special moments with my daughter had been stolen from me because, among other decisions, the judge of our divorce decreed, at her father’s request, that Melissa never wake up in my home on Christmas morning, so in fact, they had been.

But now that I am older and wiser, I am confident that what was taken from me taught me a valuable lesson. I now have such a deep bond with my daughter that no one can remove it from me, wherever she may be. It comes from within, and I call it Christmas love because, although it remains with me always, it renews on this same day every year. It doesn’t matter on which day we celebrate it. Because it is the most meaningful gift of all. Merry Christmas. I love you, Sweetie.