Day 27: Holiday Hooplah

The first night of Hanukkah is Wednesday. It's hard to believe the holidays are here, and I have been drinking up every ounce of holiday-ness so far. Every year, I spend a lot of time thinking and debating and buying and returning gifts for friends and family. I have a really hard time making decisions, and though I know the holidays are not about presents, I really love giving gifts to the ones I love. I spend a lot of time trying to find that perfect gift, and I get so excited when I finally find it. But, sometimes it just becomes impossible.

This year, I was stressing a lot about the perfect Hanukkah gift for Rick. Not only do I have to find a gift for him that will knock his socks off, but everyone else who also wants to buy a gift for him has asked me what they should get him. Needless to say, panic was creeping in. Neither of us really want anything. Nor do we really need anything. We talked and decided we could both use new winter coats, given we'll be spending much more time in the frigid crisp winter air walking the pup. So today, we went to Macy's and picked out coats we probably wouldn't have bought for ourselves. The store was swarming with people. Christmas music filled the store, red ribbons and ornaments hung from the ceiling, and you could just feel the excitement of the holidays in the air. People were smiling, kids were laughing and the happiness was just seeping through the walls.

This year, I won't get to watch Rick tear through a crisply wrapped present. And, I won't get to see that look of "surprise" when he sees it for the first time. But, today was the best Hanukkah gift I could have asked for. I love my new coat, and I will think of Rick every time I put it on. But what makes me the most happy is that I got to spend a Sunday morning with Rick, soaking up the holiday spirit together. Now that's what the holidays are all about!