My Ghost of Christmas Present

December 17, 2014
Day 231

The specter of my past is gone, and long minutes pass as I wait in wonder.  Finally, the clock bells ring out again in the silence of the night, and before I know it, I'm face to face with a most unusual creature.  The Ghost of Christmas Present is the happiest, friendliest being I've ever encountered, but something in the twinkle of her eye tells me she has something up her sleeve as well.

We first journey to my job, where I see my colleagues in their pre-Christmas rush, trying to get all their work done ahead of the festivities to come.  Someone jokes to someone else that I've put on some weight again lately.  I frown to feel the sting of the words, and the truth in the statement. 

We quickly pass into the homes of all my family members, the ones I'm closest to, as well as the ones I'm furthest from.  I'm made to feel all the love, despite the distance, both literal and emotional, and the ghost shows me all the potential love and connections too. 

Next we travel to the homes of all my friends, the ones I see all the time, as well as the ones I haven't seen in years.  I'm reminded of how much love I've experienced with so many of them, but also how much more I've never felt too.  The spirit shows me with each new soul how I can rekindle some relationships and let go of others who are meant to stay in my past.  I laugh and I cry with the wisdom she brings me, and I try to keep learning as much as I can.

Quickly--too quickly--I'm back at home, and shown my house and my partner Andy.  I see all the potential there too, the jobs and home improvement projects waiting to be done, as well as the many ways I can be even closer to Andy in the future, to give him an even better life.

A mighty breeze comes through the open window, calling my attention away.  When I look back, the spirit is gone, and I'm once again alone in the darkness, wondering what comes next.