Holiday card

 I was never really a true believer in fate. I always felt like fate was just an excuse for weak people to let things in their life come to them, as opposed to working for it, or being brave enough to make decisions for themselves. But sometimes, I feel like the choices you make, all end up aligning into this story that somehow was meant to be. That’s when things start making sense.

7 years ago, I remember Victoria’s mom came to my middle school and developed this program where every seventh grader had to make one holiday card to send out to a random person in the military. I always found myself to be a little bit more emotional than other people, I always gave things long thought and tried to analyze things from different angles. I like to put myself in other peoples shoes and try to feel what they feel. Sometimes, when I’d do that, it would bring me to tears. Silently, I’d begin crying because I knew that person was hurting.

I started with a Thanksgiving card, and unlike the other kids who just made cliche cards without putting any thought into it, just to hurry up and get back to the schoolyard, I took time to make mine. I wasn’t this sentimental genius at twelve years old, so of course I didn’t expand on my emotions like I would now, but I knew when I put thought into my card it was special.

Her mom was so impressed with my card and knew that I felt something genuinely for the person, whoever he or she was, so she took the time to speak to me about it.

"You know, if you wanted to make more than just one, you could. There’s plenty of people who you can make these cards for."

Then I started thinking of all the hundreds of thousands of people who have no family left, or are alone on the holidays, or who’d just really feel touched when they see that some little girl from New York was thinking of them, or thankful for what they were doing. I didn’t want this to be about the program anymore, it became something I wanted to do.

I found myself making cards every sixth period, during lunch. I even gave up my recess willingly. Something about doing this was more important than walking around the schoolyard with my friends and talking about boys. I made Thanksgiving cards and Christmas cards, each one was unique with something different written inside. I never really knew why it meant so much to me, but it did. This is where fate comes in.

Seven years later, I know that you’ll be leaving to the army in a few months. I never expected to fall in love with someone I knew would be risking his life, miles away. At twelve years old, I didn’t know why I had to make those cards, but now I know I had been making them for you. It’s funny how things in life somehow, eventually, always, fall together. Then everything starts making sense.

It kind of makes you realize that life is a beautiful thing. And fate, is a beautiful excuse.