I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm - It's A Wonderful Life

There is one Christmas tradition I enjoy that would probably surprise some of you- because it’s pretty darn traditional. Every year Dan and I lounge around on the sofa together and watch “It’s A Wonderful Life” on network T.V.

We don’t have cable (no, not Amish, just choose not to afford), and there is something about the show just playing, regardless of you and your schedule, of it’s own accord, something immediate. It preserves the old “but it’s on right now” urgency some of you may remember from before the dawn of Tivo. When he called me on the cell I was already turning onto Main Street with our pizza on the passenger seat.

“Where are you? It’s starting!”

We both love this movie. Old black and white Jimmy Stewart was my first movie boyfriend. We have to watch this every year or it just doesn't feel like Christmas. We laugh in all the same old spots, and sit there most of the evening with goofy nostalgic grins on our faces. I usually con a bit of leg rubbing out of him every night, sprawling shamelessly all over him, pestering him until he relents, but during “our show” I didn’t even have to ask.

Last night I took my 94 year old grandma out on a date for her birthday. We ran a bunch of errands, then I took her out to dinner. We pigged out, having an appetizer before out meal, then I drove her around for couple hours looking at Christmas lights. After, we stopped somewhere for pie.

On the ride home she said, “Did you see that man and woman come in to have pie right as we were leaving? That was nice. You never get over that—missing someone to go have pie or whatever with. You always miss it.”

I went to live with her the summer my grandpa died, to help ease the transition for her. She’d never even put gas in her car, or gone grocery shopping by herself, well, not for years and years. She was devastated at losing him. I asked her one night, if it was worth it—was it worth all the agonizing heartache of the loss? -- The years she’d had with him? She had to think it over, but in the end said yes—It was.

That was when I went all in with Dan. I was already in big time love with him, but at that point I really committed. He didn’t fully understand when I told him, “This BETTER wind-up being worth it, or, or—it just better be. That’s all.” So far it has been totally worth it. He seems to think so too.

See? Not a total Scrooge. Here’s hoping you find a little patch of peace during the crazy holiday season, and that you either find that person to share pie with, or look over at who ever is next to you and let them know how glad you are that they’re around.