As the sun rose on this December 26th morning – it marked the end of Christmas 2001. And although it has come and gone – it was the best Christmas I ever had.

This was my thirtieth Christmas on this Earth and I can say without fail that it was the best one I ever had. While the Christmases of my childhood were always special – this one was the first Christmas of my adulthood that I will look back on with as much joy as those Christmases from my childhood.

There are many reasons why this Christmas was the best one I ever had. The most obvious reason is that it was Christine and my first Christmas together. And as we sat under our first tree Christmas morning and opened our presents, I actually felt the joy I used to feel on Christmas morning as a child – something I have not felt in years. As for our gifts, she got me a necklace with a Superman “S” charm – something I love as I am always calling myself Superman due to my constant demands. And I got her a day at Elizabeth Arden Spa, Aerosmith’s Box Of Fire, which is a thirteen CD collection of Aerosmith’s career – and I also named a star after her – so the love that I have for her can burn for eternity.

Besides the fact that this was our first Christmas together, it was also a fun Christmas thanks to all of my friends that decided to share it with me. After we were all done with our families, myself and my friends gathered at my house both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day to exchange presents, have fun – and celebrate the joy of the season together.

Another one of my favorite parts of the holiday is the food, and this year – there was plenty of it. On Christmas Eve, Christine and I went to her Aunt Cathy’s house for a spectacular meal that would have cost hundreds of dollars in any restaurant. From lobster tails to clams to mussels to a mountain of shrimp prepared three different ways – the meal certainly filled me up and reminded me of the meals that my mother used to make when the world used to come to her house for Christmas. And last night on Christmas Day, Christine and I took my mother to an Italian restaurant for a nice Christmas dinner.

As Christine and I left my mother’s house last night to head home, we noticed a police car and an ambulance parked on a street corner. Right next to the vehicles, there was a policeman talking to one homeless man – while another lay underneath a blanket – dead from the unforgiving cold. As we passed this scene, I wondered out loud if that man ever expected his life to end frozen to death on a street corner on Christmas Day because he was homeless. I then wondered about all of the other homeless people in the world – and prayed that they would find a little warmth this Christmas.

Before we headed home, we stopped at 7-Eleven for a few things. As we got out of my rental car and headed toward the store, I saw another homeless man eating what looked like the remains of a bagel. As soon as I saw him, I went back to the car and got the leftover spaghetti that we took home from the restaurant and gave it to the homeless man. Truth be told, that pasta would have sat in my fridge until I got sick of looking at it and threw it away. But now – the food went to someone who could really use a hot meal. And as I left the store after buying my things, I also gave the man money to buy a cup of coffee to have with the spaghetti. And when I pulled away – both he and I felt a little warmer on Christmas.

Despite the happiness that this season has brought me – there are also two voids this holiday that nothing could fill. Not having Bradd and Doug with me this Christmas was very painful. I can remember so many fond memories of Christmases that I spent with them. Like one year when Doug poured maple syrup in the bottom of his Christmas tree – and how it got all over my shoes when we tried to throw his tree out the window. I also remember a Christmas with Bradd when we just finished putting up the lights on the tree – and blew them all out to the point where we had to take all of the lights off of the tree, buy new ones – and start all over again. And now this year – neither one of them are with me for the holidays. Bradd I lost to cancer – and Doug I lost due to the insane beliefs of a human cancer. But even though they are both gone – they will always be with me on Christmas and all the days of my life.

So as Christmas 2001 comes to a close and we are forced to wait another twelve months until we can decorate another Christmas tree – I will always remember this year’s holidays as one of my favorites – and one I will never forget.