How many Christmas evenings do I remember?

When I was a kid, I loved Christmas parties. My grandpa, who was a very outgoing entrepreneur, would take whole family to this large holiday gatherings of Rotary Club in Osaka every year. We all dressed up and enjoyed special dinner followed by magic shows, stand-up comedy performances and bingo games.

When I was a teenager, I would often throw a party with my friends. We ordered pizza and played board games, talking about our crushes and dreams of romantic Christmas dates.

I did have some romantic Christmas nights for a few times later on. I still feel thankful for having someone special in my life, even though it didn’t last forever.

I have spent a couple of lonely Christmas nights too. I remember I cried one time, when I was all alone in New York on the Christmas eve. I was just missing my grandparents and warmth of the family so much. On that night, I listened to the song called “River” again and again.

That song reminds me of both happy Christmas and sad Christmas. And I think, I will have many happy Christmas nights in the future and I may have some not-so-happy Christmas nights at some point in my life.

Either way, I still believe in Santa Claus.