On the Eve of Christmas Eve I find myself watching one of my favorite holiday movies....Love Actually. It is a hilarious romantic comedy, the type of movie I love (pardon the pun). I adore the premise of the movie, Love is actually all around us. I am up making a terrific blanket for one of the loves of my life, my niece Madison. At this time of year love is all around us, you just have to be sure you notice it.
Love is in a handmade card on notebook paper from a 7th grade volleyball player. Love is in the many gifts I was blessed with from co-workers and students at school. Love is in the handmade gifts, the thoughtful gifts, the Starbucks cards and in my favorite gift of all, a Christmas hug. A student announced to the class, "Ms. Ryan, I got you something too, a Christmas hug." I smiled, hugged her and then broke into a song and dance that went a little something like this...."All I want for Christmas is a big fat hug, a big fat hug, All I want for Christmas is a big fat hug, and that's what your brought me for Christmas." Love is in the hours spent making cookies, buying and wrapping gifts. Love is in the hugs from family and friends. Love is in my nephew's voice as he covers his face in soap suds in the bath and says, "Merry Christmas Eve" in his best almost two year old Santa voice. Love is in the hope that after all the blind dates, bad dates and absolutely hilarious dates, "the one" for me is out there and when the time is right, God will place him in my life at precisely the moment He planned. Love is wrapped in the strength my cousin Caleb displays over and over in his fight against cancer. His home is filled with love and occasionally brotherly quarrels. Love is in the intricate wedding plans and preparations for my best friend's wedding. Love is in the phone calls, emails and text messages from friends and family. Love will be all around my little brother Patrick's tree as we decorate it in his memory on Christmas Eve.
I am surrounded by people I love and who love me on a daily basis. My cousin Andrea just sent me a text message that said, "Hurry up and get over here, I miss your brown hair." I know she does and as always it was a fantastic time to be surrounded my by family at yet another Katie and the Ager's sleep over. We all collapse in a giant heap on the couch, watch movies and just talk. You see love comes in heaps!
This Christmas season I am feeling very loved. I hope you take the time to see all the love in your life. Merry Christmas everyone.
P.S. Anyone know how many times the word 'love' is used in the post? Not very good word choice I suppose but the magic was in the repetition for this blog:)
