Celebrating Christmas

I hope you're all having a wonderful Christmas holiday, and enjoying your time with family and friends. For those of you without cancer, I hope you spiked your egg nog. I'm getting all the special sauce I need on Monday when I breeze through my sixth round of chemo.

Amidst all the craziness of getting my place holiday-festive in preparation for Christmas dinner and buying gifts for my whole family (the rule was that everyone would only buy gifts for me this year, but I flipped the script and bought presents for everyone), I started thinking about the significance of this day. On Christmas, fans of Jesus celebrate the birth of Christ, the day the big J.C. started his life here on Earth. This holiday, for me, has been one of rebirth. 

This year, because of my cancer diagnosis and the way I've approached my ever-closer annihilation of this disease, I've been given an opportunity to stop pushing forward with my life and enjoy each moment, in the moment. Before my diagnosis, I'd never really stopped looking forward to that next goal. I'd never stopped thinking about how my present actions could shape the future. These days, life is still very much about the future, but even more so about the present. I've been given an opportunity, because of "the cancer," to reinvent myself -- to be reborn -- as someone who soaks up all the beauty of my days without always planning for bigger and better things. Because this moment is the bigger and better thing.

Christmas Day has always been one of my favorites, but when you're living life in super-HD, it's hard not to marvel at the true beauty of the day, as families and friends get together, talk, laugh, eat like little piggies, and exchange gifts inspired totally by love. My Christmas has certainly been fantastic so far -- with Christmas Eve celebration at my uncle's house last night, opening presents with my parents and Will this morning, and the Laker game with Will this afternoon -- and I'm sure it'll only get better as the day continues. When you're surrounded by people you love, it's hard not to have a great day. 

Merry Christmas, everyone. WunderGlo wishes you a day filled with joy, love, and fun.