Everyday Is Christmas for me.

I used to hate Christmas.  I have since I was a kid.  I can count on one hand how many were ever a good time.  My only good memories all revolve around spending the holiday with my grandparents.  My Grandfather would dress up like Santa Claus and deliver presents and hang around with all of us for a while.  I was an all in believer in Santa Claus until I was told to go and get groceries out of the car one time and I Opened the truck and there were as all the presents from Santa Claus.  I secretly suspect that my mother did that on purpose.  Why else put the groceries in the trunk and then hand your kid the key and tell him to go and get them.  We lived in Northern Indiana at the time and it was snowy and cold as hell.  It could have been an honest mistake, but that's  highly unlikely.  When we would get together with our Grandparents the cousins would all be there and the Aunts and Uncles and I liked those Christmas's the best.  

As Ive gotten older I've come to realize that a for me, Christmas has nothing to do with presents.  For many years when I trained horses the holiday was spent on the road.  Hauling horses to some show circuit trying to finish out the year end points race. Usually alone.  I don't miss that one bit.  

At this point in my life everyday is like Christmas for me.  I've had a pretty good life.  In spite of trying to screw it up most of the time. I really have enjoyed most of it.  I fell extremely fortunate to have been born in America.  For all its faults, no matter what you hear on the news.  The rest of the world wants to be us.  I am healthy.  Sure right now I am struggling with my back, but I've been through that before and basically I'm a tough bastard and I will trudge along until I get it fixed this time as well.  I have a great dad and sister that love me I don't get to see them enough, but they too are healthy and getting along well.  Over the years I have collected a group of friends that without question I am fortunate to have.  Some of them I don't see often enough, but I always feel their connection and love.  I've been privileged to made a living what I loved to do.  While I trained horses I loved it.  I had good stock, good customers and it allowed me to show all over the United States and see the country that we live in.  There is diversity and beauty everywhere here.  Ive been lucky enough to have the loyalty and love of many good dogs.  At one point I traveled by myself with 4 or 5 of them.  It was like a never ending circus of canine entertainment and love.  Living in America has allowed me to have hobbies that I never thought I would and I need to remind myself not to take for granted.  Camping, Traveling, a stint trying to fly R/C planes, FAILURE, Snowmobiles, fishing, and now sports car racing, as well as owning a large and fantastic group of cars along the way.  

Most of all, I now have  married into an extended family that brings joy to my heart everyday, and a husband that literally fills my heart with love. When my nephew was married my dad stood up before everyone and gave a little speech on how special marriage was.  It was totally unlike him to do something like that, but you could tell without a doubt how he felt about my mother and how serious the institution of marriage was for him. Until I was married, I had no idea what he was talking about.

 Waking up to Brian's smiling  eyes every morning is like being born again.  If I was able to, my gift to the world would be for everyone to get to experience the same thing.  So today when we sit down to dinner and I look across the table at the man I love I will know that I have everything in life that is important.  So Everyday is Christmas for me.  

Merry Christmas everyone!!!