Small Things Really Make a Difference on Christmas

Yesterday my partner and I got in the car and drove to see his family for Christmas Eve. Given the distance from where we live, we had to stay at a small lodge close by their home. We stopped first at the hotel after the drive down, unpacked, and then went to pick up some food and bring it to his family home so his younger relatives can have lunch while the adults prepared for dinner later that evening. This is the second year we have done this, the exact same thing, and it really does seem to be feeling like we are developing a bit of a tradition for Christmas Eve.

Before driving down, I sent well wishes to my daughters, not expecting any type of reply (and as expected, did not got any); as well as to their mother, whom was gracious but short. As in prior years, I knew they were preparing to have their extended family come over for a massive Christmas Eve dinner just as we had done every year for the prior two decades.

We brought with us gifts for my partners family, which we went shopping together for earlier in the week. We all hung out at his families home, chatted, had some drinks, listened to music. The tree was large at their house, and all the gifts were stacked underneath waiting for the kids to open them.

As the evening progressed, as is tradition at their house, the kids opened their gifts. Everyone played with them (including the adults), everyone was having a great time, and midnight finally struck bringing in Christmas.

As the evening went on, we started to get tired and decided to head back to the hotel. We got to our room, got out of our holiday clothes, and snuggled in bed together.

Wrapped in each other's arms, our legs also tied together, my partner was smiling and beaming with happiness. He looked at me, and expressed how happy he was and thanked me for making the evening so wonderful.

And then he said something that struck me and provided further evidence of just how much he loves me. He said (and I am paraphrasing a bit), "I know you went through this evening with a bit of a thorn in you side. Thinking about how you spent your prior holidays with your other family and how you are now spending the holidays with your new family. I do not want you to think that your new family is any less than your old family. Your new family is just a different family and part of your new [authentic] life. Your prior family is your past and we are your future."

It is his ability to read me like this and express himself so well, which would seem like such a small sentiment, but confirms how great he is, and how lucky I am to have him.

And although I had to drop him off to work as we drove back home early this morning, and as I will now be spending the rest of the day with some of my relatives without him, I feel truly inspired.

Merry Christmas everyone.

 

.....now if I can just get him to celebrate Hannukah with me