117. Merry christmastime. I love you.

4:30 A.M.

It’s Christmastime for you and I love you. I imagine that you’ve had seemingly much better Christmases than this one. Maybe remembering those Christmases is painful in the context of and in contrast to the fear and uncertainty you feel today. But I submit to you that this Christmastime is as much about love as any other Christmastime that came before and all the Christmastimes to come.

I’m sure you remember a Christmas Carol and our hot date. I’m sure you remember the three ghosts of Christmas: The Ghost of Christmas Past, The Ghost of Christmas Present, and The Ghost of Christmas Future. All the ghosts were all about love.

Your honesty is an act of love and kindness and, although I’m sure it seems otherwise, is a fitting Christmas gift. After all, Christmas is all about a miraculous birth under undesirable circumstances. A gift from God with no crib for a bed. So too comes love, full of hope and fragility as a newborn baby.

Merry Christmas, Craig. Our first, wherever you are. I love you. It’s Christmastime and I love you.