We settled into my parent's home just in time for the holiday cheer this December. I realized that I've only lived away from my parents home for just under a year and a half which is a rather humorous fact. Christmas was always an exciting time of year in my parents home. We had the biggest, best tree, with perfect decorations and presents that were so plentiful that the tree skirt was nowhere to be seen. The best was plugging in the lights at night and basking in the glow of their twinkle. And then..... we stopped doing presents and Christmas trees. No more glorious smell of pine filling up the house. No more presents on Christmas morning. December just wasn't the same.
Not to mention I had strong negative emotions tied to Christmas. One of the last years we celebrated Christmas traditionally I was in a courtship with a guy who I'd been quite infatuated with for a number of years. We'd been courting for a total of three weeks starting in the beginning of December and then on Christmas Eve he wouldn't talk to me and pretty much ignored me the whole night. By Christmas morning he acted like nothing had happened and was jolly and merry with the whole family but he didn't really interact with me much. Finally by Christmas evening I asked him what was going on. He told me he wasn't going to break it to me on Christmas but since I asked he was breaking up with me. Of course that ruined Christmas for me and since I was young, "in love" and it was my first relationship ever it was heartbreaking. It amuses me now to think about but Taylor Swift came out with her version of "Last Christmas" and so that really came my melancholy heartstrings a song that resonated well with my sad spirit. Oh, the teen years!
As it happened that was probably one of the last years that my family really celebrated Christmas in the traditional manner. We stopped doing presents as it had grown to be a financial burden and we discontinued doing a Christmas tree as well. We still got together with family and had a special meal together but it wasn't the same. At least that's how I felt.
Fast forward to 2016. I met Jeff in February at an organic farming conference. We barely spoke but we kept bumping into each and so at the end of the three day event we swapped info and later found each other on Facebook. We messaged a little on Facebook and then didn't talk again till November. Jeff messaged me asking if he could stop by for a visit and stay at our farm on his way to his family's home in Canada. Of course I said yes and we began messaging frequently after that. The more we messaged the more we discovered we had in common and things grew serious. We were sharing life stories and discussing future desires. By the time he visited it was not so much a question of did we want to be in a relationship but when.
Two years ago today Jeff cornered my dad as he came out of the restroom during a Christmas Eve party with my mom's family. He asked my dad if he could court me and as he and my mom had already discussed the issue and knew my feelings on the matter he gave Jeff his permission. I think that's the best holiday season I've ever experienced. The excitement and thrill of getting to know Jeff through messenger during Thanksgiving, having him visit just before Christmas and then beginning a courtship with him on New Years Day. That's enough to make any woman's heart full of joy! The funny part was that my dad assumed Jeff informed me of my dad's consent for us to be in a relationship and Jeff assumed my dad had filled me in and I was clueless. When we woke up the next morning, New Years Day 2017, my parents sat us down and were talking about the seriousness of being in a relationship and marriage... etc. I thought maybe they were taking matters into their own hands since Jeff and I had been talking so seriously the past two months. Then over breakfast they said something about announcing it in church and by that point I was freaking out. I thought they were going to scare Jeff off for sure and that they were being rather forward! So I was opposing all of their suggestions and felt quite uncomfortable. My dad did announce it in church that we were courting and that was actually the first time I was informed of our courtship. Quite a surprise, though a very pleasant one. Oh, life is amusing isn't it?!
The rest is history. Needless to say the joy and bliss of the Christmas and New Year season has returned and is much more beautiful than I could have ever imagine. Redeemed and made wonderful by Jeff coming into my life. The hurts of past Christmas's pale and are forgot in the radiant memories of 2016 and 2017.
At last, 2018 has come to a close leaving blessings in it's wake. A new child, our first anniversary, and 20 acres of land that we can call our own till the end of our days. It has been a good year.
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