Special time of the year.

It's finally here. The one day of the year that we all look foreward to. In my family, I think the biggest event of the holidays is Christmas Eve. It's a time of the year when we all get together, put aside our differences and just enjoy spending time with family. Last year we had Christmas Eve at the Old Country Inn, this year it is returning to its traditional home.

It's amazing sometimes when and where you see and meet people. I was at Wal-Mart last night and I saw Amy and Val. It's nice to see that these two sisters were spending the day Christmas shopping together. After I left Wal-Mart last night, I had to make a return trip at about 2:30AM. I ran into Patty (Toth) Dewitt. I enjoyed conversing with her for a little while and she caught me up on Michaels new addition to the family Christopher Michael Toth.

I told her about Christmas Eve and that Jean keeps saying she needs to go see Christopher Michael, so maybe there will be a little surprise tonight.

I've seen some Christmas Magic work, and it's some pretty powerful stuff. I don't know what Christmas Eve 2005 has in store for it, but whatever it is it usually one for everyone to remember.

I think my most influential Christmas Eve of my life was 1998. After a few years of Hiatus, the Hall Family Christmas was once again in full swing. We had convinced my dad that we wanted to have Christmas Eve there and he really wasn't into it. However, December 24th has some kind of magic associated with it and at the last minute he switched shifts with someone else to join in on the family fun. There definately was some magic to that day, because the ceremonial Christmas eve that had returned to its roots was the last one for dad. We lost him 7 months later. For me, it was a magical night that one of the single most influential people in my life walked back into my life.

It was a night when Jane and I started speaking again, and I think the night that I realized I really didn't want to be with Jackie anymore, even though we had split months earlier, we were still on and off. Less than a month after that night, Jane made me look at Life differently and the next thing you know I'm assembling an entrance application for West Virginia University. The rest is history.

Years have went by and other Christmas Eves have come and passed. I don't know what tonight has to offer, it can always be the the doorway to a life changing event for someone else as it was for me. What ever happens tonight I know it will be special. It has to be, because anytime you can have all your family members associated in one place and it's not a Funeral, it is special, even if it were merely for five minutes.