Memories of Christmas:

- My grandfather, who gave me a hand-held baseball game when I was nine or so, hours before he died.

- Having a little black kitten placed into my hands by my mother, while my eyes were closed.

- Playing Ultraman on the SuperNES with my little brother, when I was twelve.

- Having the Hell's Angels donate food, a tree, and gifts to my family when I was about seven, and we didn't have enough money for Christmas.

- Christmas dinner in Alberta, with Amanda Gear and her father, who had to wear his RCMP uniform and gun to the table because he was on-call.

- A vague memory of my mother and her then-fiancee having a screaming match, the tree falling over, and writing in my diary that it was "the worst christmas ever."

- Sitting with Jessica and Gav at a coffee shop, laughing and talking.

- Eating turkey at a drop-in centre for homeless youth.

- Waking up before everyone else, every year, and sneaking downstairs to stare at the christmas presents, full of wonder.