i'm an emotional wreck. yup, it's christmas.

yesterday when i was running, i started thinking: i'm going to give my new niece my favorite children's book of all time. what will I write in it? as I ran round the bouncy green loop of my gym, i had these little fantasies of writing this inspirational message about how much I love her and how lucky our family is to have her, and how maybe the message would change everything with my little brother; how maybe he'd drop all grudges he has with his brothers and sister and we could really be one happy family. he'd see that the only reason i'm giving Isabelle that book is because it only reminds me of how lucky i am to have the family that I have, and that when she's my age and thinks of the book she'd feel the same. i'd pull my brother aside and say "Richie - how could you have our uncle be her Godparent when nobody can love that little girl more than your two brothers and sister? when will you learn that having a little girl means dropping all your grudges and doing what's best for her - and that means letting her whole heartily being part of our lives...'cause we love her so, so much...the same way we love you!" and in this fantasy, he's shake his head in agreement and hug me and it'd be magical and perfect and beautiful.
as i ran around the track, i welled up a little bit thinking of how much i love this little person, and all the little people in my life (not the midgets i've not yet
befriended, but specifically my nephews and nieces.)
that's when I realized "yup, it's christmas."
then this morning i'm walking from the train to work, and i get all warm and gushy feeling inside. and then I think...yup, it's christmas.
walking into the lobby of my building - there's men and women hustling and bustling about - rushing to send last minute packages. some have little roller suitcases, obviously departing today, homebound for what all are hoping is the most magical christmas ever. Coldplay's cover of the Pretender's "2000 miles" comes on - I quickly change it for fear that I might start sobbing out of happiness in the work lobby.
that's how much of a wreck i am. but it's a good kind of wreck.
but wait, there's more.
in the midst of my morning routine (check e-mail, cnn.com, etc.) i stumble on this. i've kind of been keeping track of Youssif on cnn.com, but today i read more about it than usual. his mom wrote a letter to CNN...I'm not going to explain it - just read.

letter from Youssif's Mom

it's amazing, isn't it? if only we all could be this thankful for what we have, but we all have so, so much.
if you're reading this - you have access to the internet - which means that you either have it at home, or have it at a job, or are near a public library where you can use the internet for free and check out so much free literature to last you a lifetime. or, you might be at a coffeeshop enjoying an indulgent treat. i suppose you could be at an airport waiting to go home to your family for Christmas.
which, my friends, means you have so much more that most of the world.
and you're child didn't have to go through what Youssif did for you to realize it.
you're family is near, not in a country that now alienates you.
you live in a country that would do what they did for Youssif.
and you know what i realized while reading this? about this little that has touched so many? that he's not much older than a baby that was born some two thousand years ago. that - like Youssif - this little baby was from the same part of the world. that like Youssif, he knew no more than what good was, just like Youssif. that he forgave because that's all he knew to do. that he was the most innocent little baby born of all time, and that it's a little baby born two thousand years ago that makes me swell up with love and thankfulness this time of year anytime I remotely feel loved or see love.
that there is a reason for the season, and it's the baby Jesus.
our God. our Saviour.
But there is something funny about the phrase "our God" isn't there? did you catch it? in the letter from Youssif's mother, she "thanks God." Did that phrase throw you? did you imagine a different God just because she's from Iraq (and Muslim?)
i assume not.
what does that mean?
i know what it means to me. it means we're all in this together.
Christmas may be a christian holiday, the season belongs to everybody.
because it's all about love and togetherness. and that my friends is universal.
be thankful for it.
because in this part of the world, we are all so, so blessed.
merry christmas.