It Was a Heavenly Christmas!

OlderAndWiser u
It was a heavenly Christmas!

In the fall of 1979, I was 24 years old. Socially, I was a late bloomer. I had dated some and I had experienced a few sexual relationships but I had never had a serious long term girlfriend. By November of 1979, that had changed.

Pat was a petite, cute, attentive lady who had gotten divorced after a brief marriage. She was living alone, working as a waitress, and eager for companionship. I met her through a mutual friend and was instantly smitten with her. We started dating and both enjoyed our good times together.

Pat went home to upstate New York for Thanksgiving but would not be making that trip again at Christmas. I invited her to go home with me for Christmas and she eagerly accepted. This was the first time that I took a girl home to meet my parents and it was a huge deal to me. This proved to myself that I had finally caught up with where I should be in terms of dating and relationships and I had a big sense of relief with reaching this milestone.

I arranged time off from work but I had to work until 11 pm on Christmas Eve. Pat had her suitcase packed and I left work, went to her apartment to pick her up, then hit the road for a 3½ hour drive to my parents' home. Pat was tired and soon fell asleep so I was left alone to my thoughts in the early morning hours of this Holy day.

During the final hour of the trip, I was driving north on I-95 when a splendid meteor shower began. It was like nothing that I have witnessed before or since. The meteorites were frequent and often there were several at the same time. As I watched this display. It felt as if the meteor shower was God's way of smiling down on me. I reached over and held the hand of my sleeping future bride. I felt at peace with the world and, for me, this moment became frozen in time. It is a moment that I remember every Christmas Eve and, every year as I remember that feeling, I wish for that feeling of absolute peace to fill all of us.

Merry Christmas!

It Was a Heavenly Christmas!
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