I am a bit of a grinch (more on that next week), but this year, I’ll be damned if I didn’t find a little holiday spirit lurking deep within the depths of my soul.

Reason #1:

Housing Works Bookstore Cafe asked me to participate in their Second Annual Christmas Carol Marathon this afternoon, and I read alongside VIP humans such as Ira Glass, Law and Order’s Jill Hennesey, Stringer Bell’s lawyer, Lorin Stein, John Hodgman, and then about 50% of my Twitter friends, including Julie Klam, Ann Leary, Alexander Chee, Elissa Schappell, Kurt Andersen, AND SO MANY MORE. My first “job” in high school was at Housing Works (quotation marks because it was a volunteer position, but still), and I love the whole operation. If being in a giant bookstore filled with people listening to Charles Dickens doesn’t warm the cockles of your heart, well, then, how very sad for you.

Reason #2:

One of my favorite customers came into BookCourt on Friday with a holiday card for me–she is the mother of an extremely cute child, and he and I flirt shamelessly whenever possible. When I finally opened the card, after they had left, what I read made me cry. Here is what it sad: “Just wanted to say thank you for your kindness and warmth though out the first year of xxxx’s life. I know it’s your job to be pleasant, but you’ve gone beyond the call of duty to make us feel welcome every time we visit BookCourt. Best of all, you’ve made the book store a place that xxxx loves and have helped instill a lifelong love of books–the greatest gift of all.”

You see? Just like that, this Scrooge is ready to deck the halls. The world can be such a glorious place.

Yours, swimming with love,
Emma