Today is the first day of December, last Wednesday, I went to Rockefeller Center to watch the lighting of the 69th Rockefeller Center Christmas tree – and last night – my friends and I started putting up Christmas lights around the house. These three events could only mean one thing – Christmas is on its way – and the holiday season has arrived.

This year has been an unbelievable one – full of both wonderful – and terrible events. But besides the life-altering atrocities that took place on September 11th – many things have occurred this year that brought reason enough to still look forward to this Christmas. From the return of old friends to the discovery of new ones, I have many great people around me who have given me many reasons to be merry. And with Christine coming into my life and finally introducing me to the concept of true, pure, selfless love – we have been enjoying a wonderful year falling in love with each other – and have been looking forward to our first Christmas together since the summertime – which we knew wasn’t too far away when we stood in each other’s arms on Wednesday and watched the tree lighting at Rockefeller Center.

And today, Christine and I did something that always makes my holiday spirit a little more evident – we went to the St. Edmund’s Christmas Fair. For whatever reason – my holiday season is not complete without going to that Fair. Each year that I go and I see the parishioners’ efforts and hard work culminate in a warm, friendly and fun Christmas Fair – it brings the holidays a little closer – and makes me want to run home and break out the Christmas decorations – which is exactly what we did after we left the Fair.

Dawning our Christmas hats and putting the Christmas music in the CD player – Christine and I prepared our house for the holidays. From setting up the Christmas town to placing the Christmas knick-knacks around the house – to hanging our stockings by the terrace with care – we decked the halls with bells of holly – and had a terrific time doing it.

I have to confess that for the first time in a long time – my old Christmas spirit has awakened once again. For the last few years – my Christmas spirit was the equivalent of an empty gas tank. I had no desire to decorate or celebrate. All I wanted to do was stay home by myself and let the holidays pass me by – not this year. This year I will celebrate the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and thank him for the gifts He has brought me this year. I will celebrate the fact that the people I choose to have around me are people that bring me an insurmountable amount of joy – and I will celebrate the fact that live in a country that allows me to be free and celebrate what I want – and that is stronger then ever.

So with twenty-four days left until Christmas – I am already full of Christmas cheer – and once again ready for the holidays. I can’t wait.