The First Time

December 3rd is a day of many firsts.

· On December 3, 1966, the Monkees made their first stage debut in Honolulu HI. Yes……I am THAT old, and Davy Jones was considered cute to my generation ( Even Marcia Brady thought so!!).

· On December 3, 1976, Sylvester Stallone’s “Rocky” was released.


· On December 3, 1989, George H.W. Bush and Mikhail Gorbachev first released statements indicating that the cold war would be coming to an end.

Also on December 3, 1976, a shy 17 year old southern girl and a shy 18 year old southern guy had their first date. They attended a district wide church youth Christmas banquet and amidst mutual blushes, they stole glances at each other from the corner of their eyes. They had known each other for many years. The girl had a crush on the guy when they were back in middle school, but he and his family moved to another city at the start of high school, so she did not think about him for a long time.

In the winter season of ’76, the girl wanted to go to the Christmas banquet, but did not have a date. Her mother gently prodded her to give the guy a call and invite him. He accepted, and the rest is history.

Now 32 years later, I am still a shy “old" southern girl and my “old” southern guy has blossomed into talkative, opinionated, fireball of a salesman. He can talk to anyone about almost anything and I consider myself blessed to be the wife of 31 years to the love of my life. Every December 3rd, I give my mother a call and thank her for the gentle nudging that changed my life.

One last first……I was in the Hallmark store looking at Christmas cards and realized it would be the first Christmas in my adult life that I would not buy a single Christmas card for a grandparent. My “Little Granddaddy” went home to his “Great Shepherd” in June of this year. Tears blurred my eyes, but then I realized that no Christmas card sentiment could compare with what Granddaddy is experiencing in Heaven this Christmas! How wonderful to be in the presence of the “Glorious Impossible”!