Ah yes, I've been there and your right they don't work at least not for me
they didn't.  Thank God Todd stayed here instead of going back home.  We
might not have been getting married then.

Lelia


----- Original Message -----
From: "Ariel" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 1:53 PM
Subject: Re: MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS


> Almost forgot the lesson:  Never get involved in a long-distance
> relationship.  Smile.
>
> Paul
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Ariel" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2003 3:47 PM
> Subject: Re: MOST MEMORABLE CHRISTMAS
>
>
> > I guess I've got to make a contribution to this thread since I started
it.
> > Smile.
> >
> > I've got a lot of strange memories, hurtful and happy, as most of you
do.
> > But the most memorable Christmas I have had was 10 years ago today.  I
had
> > just met a woman long-distance through circumstances that seemed they
had
> to
> > be from the LORD and through mutual friends.  I was in New Jersey and
she
> > was here in South Carolina where I was due to move with my job.  We
> traveled
> > back and forth for a few months since being introduced over the phone
and
> > her parents invited me to come down for Christmas and spend it with them
> and
> > her in their home here in Columbia, so we'd be chaperoned.  As well as
you
> > can chaperone a lion and a redhead, anyway.
> >
> > It was memorable for many reasons.  We were both already crazy about
each
> > other (and in general as we would find out).  Not only was she a
> Christian,
> > her father a chaplain with many mutual friends, but she was also the
most
> > beautiful woman I have ever seen.  It was also memorable for learning
the
> > different culture here from up in Yankee Land which was an education in
> > itself.
> >
> > Even just being able to get away from the unhealthy family atmosphere I
> > couldn't escape from in New Jersey would have been enough, being
empowered
> > to say "I have a life elsewhere, someone who really wants to be with me,
> and
> > I with them." alone would have made it memorable.  And everything else
> just
> > made it more special.  I finally felt as if I had the family I had
always
> > wanted, the parental figures, both mother and father, and was falling in
> > love not only with my sweetie but with her parents and her extended
family
> > (brother and his wife and little son).  There was the trip to a
Christmas
> > play in a church which seemed almost blasphemous with it's "Holly the
Holy
> > Spirit" and a mannequin that peeked out of the balcony like a wooden
> Indian
> > and was supposed to be JESUS.  An Italian guy and his girlfriend kept
> > laughing and carrying on so much that the whole congregation seemed
ready
> to
> > kill them.  But they couldn't touch us because we were in church.
Smile.
> > And there was the Riverbanks Zoo here in Columbia where they form
> Christmas
> > lights into the shape of animals.  Life-size elephants, lions, etc. all
> done
> > in colorful 3D Christmas lights.  Strange but fascinating.  I didn't
have
> my
> > car so her parents were driving us around as our chauffeurs, all of us
> > singing Christmas carols at the tops of our lungs, which made it all the
> > more bizarre with more much-needed chaperoning since the girl couldn't
> keep
> > her hands off of me.  Smile.
> >
> > I even brought snow down with me (which my sweetie's mother didn't seem
to
> > appreciate), the first time it snowed down here in years I think.  There
> > were rough moments that should have warned me, and the relationship
> > eventually fell apart a few months later.  But for those few days at
> > Christmas I experienced every joy a man could experience at Christmas,
> with
> > other Christians, in love, and I'll always be grateful for it.
> >
> > Paul
>