Merry Christmas Everyone!

From the time that I was a child, Christmas has always been my favorite holiday. I have so many memories of celebrating Christmas with my family. Baking cookies with my grandmother, hanging ornaments with my mother, laughing hysterically while watching Elf with my brothers, reading A Christmas Carol to my little sisters, sitting down to a Christmas dinner with my entire family, these are all memories of Christmastime that I treasure. Now that I am so very far away from my loved ones, I treasure them all the more.

This Christmas is my second and last Christmas in Japan. While it is difficult to be away from my parents and siblings, I believe that the saying "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is true. Spending the last two Christmases in Japan has taught me a lot about what a big role my family plays in making this time of year special. In the future I will never take for granted how lucky I am to have so many people celebrate the holidays with.

So I hope today everyone can spend time with their loved ones. I hope you can take the time to sit down with your family and friends and share a meal and good conversation. I hope when you go to sleep tonight, it will be with a full stomach and a happy heart. I hope everyone`s Christmas wishes come true and that no one is alone. In short, I wish you all a very merry Christmas and a happy New Years!