Bah Humbug!

Dear Holidays,

I know you are inevitable.  I can't stop time and I know you're coming.  The weather shows it, commercials and retail stores show it, and my bank account shows it.  You come earlier every year and I swear I heard "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" on Halloween.  I work in retail so a Christmas song in early November is quite normal but this year, I don't want you to happen.

Don't get me wrong, I love you.  This time of year is wonderful and reminds us all of Jesus and childhood memories but it is also a reminder of family and sharing you with them.  This year, I wont have that.  The first Christmas in 22 years that I will not share with them.  I am not looking forward to that.  So please don't come just yet. 

For the first time, I am not looking forward to the wonderful food, the Christmas eve anticipation, or the decorating.  I just don't want it.  I don't mean to be a scrooge to you, Holidays, but you must understand, I am not ready for you.  I am dreading you, I am dreading the empty feeling I will feel the 24th and 25th with out my family.  I am dreading opening gifts over the phone and attending a Christmas eve church service I am not used to.  Please don't come. 

Thank you,
Amber

Uncle Bill

Bill Larsen ("Uncle Bill") is a regular at my work. He is an older man, a widower I believe, and the sweetest guy I know. He comes in a couple times a week for a few beers and always brings CANDY! He picks different kinds up at the pharmacy and puts them in a cute cocktail glass so we can come munch on some sweets! He knows all of our favorite types of candies and always makes sure to save you the last piece of your favorite candy (Mine is Doves Dark Chocolate). He also makes sure he brings candy that matches the season, so he brings in candy corn durig Halloween and Peppermint Hershey's Kisses for Christmas :)

Mostly why I am bringing up Bill is because on Friday he brought in a beautiful pine tree for us girls to decorate. Bill and a few of us girls strung the lights, hung ornaments and tinsel. Bill left for a while and brought back candy canes to hang on the tree. He made sure that every girl working got to put one on...with his desgression on where it would look best of course ;) It was cute! Well, Bill came back everyday this weekend to make sure the tree was being watered and that the decorations where holding up (and he brough candy-YUM!). He also swept the pine needles and tinsel from the floor everyday.

This morning Bill came in to check on the tree. I poured him a beer and asked him if he had a tree at home. That got us on the topic of christmas trees. I told him I wouldn't put one up this year because our tree (artificial) is in storage in another town and since I dont have a permit to cut a real one I decided not to bother, especially since our apartment is quite crowded as it is. Bill was shocked at this. He told me that it wouldnt be christmas without a tree and that I should reconsider. He paid for his beer, topped off the cocktail glass with some dark chocolate and left. Later this afternoon, just as I was about to get off shift, Bill came in with a little pine tree, the perfect size. He attached a piece of paper with my name on it and hung a candy cane on on one of it's sparse branches. It was absolutely adorable. I asked him where he got it and he told me that he drove to Idaho to cut it down :) I took the tree home tonight and put it in my apartment, I cannot wait to decorate it tomorrow!

Bill's holiday spirit and his passion for the christmas tree warmed my heart. From now on I will always have a tree in my house for christmas, whether it is a tiny pine tree from Idaho, or a big artificial one from the storage :) I will post photos of it decorated soon!