I hear it's going to snow tonight.

Today I sat in my car and watched college students load their luggage into their cars for the last time this year. I watched as the once busy parking lot emptied itself. I got out of my car to go to my last final exam. Wind cut through my suit pants and I second guessed my decision not to wear long underwear. My last exam was short and painless, and I walked back to my car not being able to share my new found freedom with anyone. The parking lots were empty. The people were few.

My family is packing their things and preparing to drive to Florida for Christmas and I'm not going with them. I have to stay to work. We have plans to have our "Christmas Celebration" tonight. I'll open some presents, but presents don't make it feel like Christmas. The Christmas tree that they're under doesn't really do it for me either. Christmas will start when the 24th ends and the 26th begins. By that time, hopefully I've found a family to take me in for the holidays. If I don't, I've always got a nice game of tetris just waiting to be enjoyed by the fire.

I've learned to accept the fact that as I get older, traditions become more difficult to keep. Life gets busy and it becomes more difficult to stop what I'm doing long enough to celebrate the holidays.

It's alright though. It's snowing tonight, and I'm going to open some presents.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night."