First Christmas

Ah, Christmas. The one holiday nationally referred to as “The most wonderful time of the year.” It’s a time when families gather, friends congregate, and other distant relations recognize each other for once in the past 365 days simply to wish one another a good one; a time to celebrate the first coming of the Christ and declare to the world differently from how we do other days of the year the love of our Savior for all of mankind. 

This Christmas, I have a special something, or someone more like, to celebrate with. I am blissfully wed to my bestest friend, the reason I am particularly excited to celebrate this holiday season. In establishing our own new traditions, which are completely influenced by the sheer anticipation of another first, we decided to begin an “official” celebration on Christmas Eve-Eve. All to thrilled wait for Christmas day anyway, we chose to bestow gifts upon each other early before the festivities with extended family began. Strategically, we opted to gift the “best for first” so that they wouldn’t homogenize with all the others especially during all-encompassing festivities. I’ve never personally been particularly enlivened by the receiving of gifts, but this year was an exception (after the gift was opened of course.) I believe the fun of it was amplified due to our mutual pleasure in giving the gifts, making the exchange all the more worthwhile. 

I don’t normally openly advertise my receptions and distribution of Christmas, but this time I’m too excited not to brag. My sainted husband gifted me this year a potter’s wheel (I very much enjoy pottery and throwing clay as a hobby and ideal, possible future occupation,) however; this is not just any potter’s wheel.  Aaron built me this wheel with his bare, creative hands. Scrounging for any free moment he could find, he delicately and most thoughtfully constructed this fabulous piece of machinery with every ounce of love, meaning more to me than the gift itself. Easily transportable and cleanable, the wheel proves the perfect size for a humbly sized home. Barely smaller than the size I’m used to, I think I’ll find no problem in throwing pottery of the same proportions I normally would on a “normal” wheel. I can’t wait to try it!