maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

I love Christmas. As with most things I couldn't honestly tell you exactly why. There are many things that make the whole Holiday Season bright. The festive decorations, multitude of crafts, general good cheer, time off, time for family, time for traditions, oh how I love traditions, carols, music, singing in German, candle light, and tasty food. All very good reasons. I'm sure there are more.

Opening presents this year I was excited to find that my parents had taken my list and followed it quite well. And so I received some particularly useful things that I have been itching for: an Entertainment coupon book, a long sleeved leotard (in blue!), penguin skate dishware, a knitting needle set. And as an added bonus I even received a purely fun and superfluous gift of Guitar Hero II. Woohoo. I'm excited.

But in the end I hate focusing on the presents. I was a bit on the anti social side. I'm the only 'youth' of the family that's around for these shin-digs these days. And it can get lonely. Special events always make me long for that one special significant other.

Luckily enough for me at some point A called and left a message (my battery had died) and said that he'd been thinking about me and missed me. I heard this and melted. I like him so much and it's freaking me out to no end because it makes me paranoid. But he left me a sweet message.

It is indeed a Merry Christmas.

Three thousand feet up! Up the side of Mt. Crumpit, He rode with his load to the tiptop to dump it! "Pooh-Pooh to the Whos!" he was grinch-ish-ly humming. "They're finding out now that no Christmas is coming!" "They're just waking up! I know just what they'll do!" "Their mouths will hang open a minute or two Then the Whos down in Who-ville will all cry Boo-Hoo!"

"That's a noise," grinned the Grinch, "That I simply MUST hear!" So he paused. And the Grinch put his hand to his ear. And he did hear a sound rising over the snow. It started in low. Then it started to grow...

But the sound wasn't sad! Why, this sound sounded merry! It couldn't be so! But it WAS merry! VERY!

He stared down at Who-ville! The Grinch popped his eyes! Then he shook! What he saw was a shocking surprise!

Every Who down in Who-ville, the tall and the small, Was singing! Without any presents at all!

He HADN'T stopped Christmas from coming! IT CAME! Somehow or other, it came just the same!

And the Grinch, with his grinch-feet ice-cold in the snow, Stood puzzling and puzzling: "How could it be so?" "It came with out ribbons! It came without tags!" "It came without packages, boxes or bags!" And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn't before! "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn't come from a store." "Maybe Christmas...perhaps...means a little bit more!"