25 December 2025

Muted Celebration

To be fair, at the best of times, I'm not really huge on the holidays. They're okay. I mean, who doesn't like pressies and too much food and celebrating anything with your loved ones. But as y'all know, that's the problem. This is my first Christmas without Marcia.

Marcia loved the Christmas time of year with a deep and abiding joy. Decorating every available surface and getting new surfaces out of storage, just to decorate them - that was on her list. Christmas music. Christmas movies. Each year, she'd try to get the dog du jour to wear some form of Christmas apparel, with varying degrees of failure (meaning not much success). I never stood in the way of these activities, and actively assisted when requested. It didn't do much for me, except the joy it brought her, which was all I was ever really interested in.

And it's a white Christmas up here in my part of Maine. Marcia loved that, too, as rarely as we had them over the last 28 years.

Due to travel and grief, I didn't get any cards out this year, but I would have done so given better planning and motivation. Both of those were in short supply this season, but I haven't forgotten any of you. The love and care I've received in recent months via calls, cards, emails, and visits have helped me immensely - I can't thank you enough.

I wish for you and yours a happy holidays. Cherish your friends and family.