‘Tis The Season To Be Jolly – Getting Nostalgic
December is a very special month for us. Moving to Chicago in 2008, initially we were disappointed for not being able to celebrate our festivals with the same zeal we celebrate it here back in India. Then came Christmas and we fell in love instantly.
I saw snow for the first time. Yeah it really falls down from the sky like cotton candy, ever so lightly. And yeah, each snowflake has a different pattern. So much to awe at for a girl from Delhi who has seen >40 degrees Celsius for most of her life.
And then the long cold winters. I used to wake up in the middle of night only to look outside the window. Snow glistening in the moonlight and everything just white. Must have been at least a dozen degrees below zero and still what I felt in my heart was warmth.
Christmas was so infectious, always following us like a ghost! Play on the radio and all you hear are carols, shop at a mall and all you see are ornaments, go to a coffee house and everything is laced with pumpkin spice. For one whole month there is magic in the air and it is truly a winter wonderland.
When we were expecting, our OB/GYN gave us December 16th as our due date. Both I and Mr B prayed insanely that we get Little B on Christmas. Well, Little B had a mind of her own and she popped out two weeks before Christmas. Nonetheless, we still believe that Little B is Santa’s special gift to us. Her birthday still means white snow, red and green Christmas and sweet subtle aroma of cinnamon and nutmeg. And that’s why she has that very special name!
And it is that time of the year again! Little B’s birthday is just days away, our yearly vacation is up ahead, and then her crazy birthday party and then the awaited Christmas. Everything packed up. There is so much to do. I know I should be going nuts, pulling if not more at least a couple of my hairs.
But still what I feel in my heart is warmth. I might not be in Chicago anymore, but I still carry Christmas in my heart.