As the weather gets colder and darker for longer, I get grouchier. Honestly, I don’t mind being a wet blanket about winter. In fact, I devote a lot to my perpetual mood around the season, but this year, I couldn’t help but look past it.
It began with the first real snowfall which was quite an exhilarating experience. I have seen a lot of snowfalls in many cities but not in the Interior of British Columbia. The snow glistening from the city lights is very Hallmark, but it doesn’t quite compare to the South Cariboo. It’s quiet here and rather picturesque. Through a frosty window, I watched the snow drape tall pine trees as the yard became covered in an untouched white blanket of snow. It was a very exciting experience until the yard was tampered by paw prints and steamy yellow craters.
As much as I hate the season, I do love Christmas. I love it so much that one year I decided to open all of my presents two days before Christmas. I don’t know why I wasn’t caught in the act but I took all of my presents (some of my sisters too) and went to my bedroom. I shut the door and began unwrapping my gifts. My father eventually found me on the floor in a heaping pile of wrapping paper. He was upset.
On Christmas, I didn’t have any presents to open, so instead, I decided to take it upon myself and be the designated gift giver. I handed out everyone’s presents one-by-one without making a peep. After that year, Christmas was no longer about the presents but about family and giving.
As I got older, the Christmas spirit wore off.
In the city, everything is so fast-paced that you don’t realize what goes on around you. It’s different in a small town. Over the past two weeks, I have been a witness to acts of kindness and the overall generosity of the community. It’s heartwarming, to be honest, and this year I am heading home with that feeling.
I won’t be flying home with presents but instead with a bow around my head, reminding my family, that I am the gift.
The South Cariboo has helped instill the Christmas spirit again but I would be lying if I said it was only that. This year, Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, hit the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. That’s what I call a true Christmas miracle.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year - The City Kid.