Two Winters Ago

Two Winters ago, I decided to spend Christmas in the Netherlands by myself. It was not the smartest decision ever, considering this was coming after a long and painful separation from my ex, but a bunch of close friends made the whole experience bearable.

I spent that particular Christmas at their place, in a beautiful house right in the centre of Amsterdam. To get there, I had to take the tram. It was a 20 minute ride and I am not exaggerating when saying this journey managed to put a big smile on my face despite the terrible state I was in.

There was this woman who, besides doing her job (that of selling tickets and announcing the attractions for each of the tram stops), she was also singing, almost as a whisper, fragments of Christmas carols, whenever the tram stopped in a station. When the tram reached its final destination and everybody was getting off, people were waving hands to her and wishing her a Merry Christmas as well.

Tonight, as I was in the tram back home with a bunch of Christmas presents on my lap, I heard the same voice softly singing “Jingle Bells” from her little desk situated towards the end of the tram. It made me smile, just like two years ago, and realize just how fast the time has passed. It also made me feel grateful for all the good things that happened to me in the meantime.

I hope this Christmas finds you in a better – if not in the best – version of yourselves! And I hope they also sing Christmas carols in the trams in the cities you live in. 🙂