To an Intimate Friend at Christmas
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Dec. 25， 2001
Dear Mary，
??? Here it is Christmas again ... and you are still in Los Angeles， and I am still in Boston，but with a whole continent between us! It would take far more than a continent between us to make me forget the many happy Christmases we had together and the many pleasant memories we both share.
??? Do you still remember the Christmas party you had when you and Ed got married? That day you had a big tree in the living room and a tiny one right beside it and everyone wondered why. Then you and Ed began openning the packages just around the little tree and taking out booties， mittens and Teddy Bears——and everybody there knew you were going to have a baby! It was a wonderful day that we ever had.
??? That was eleven years ago， Mary. Your daughter， Linda， must be quite a young lady now. And Tommy was born the year you moved to Los Angeles， so he must be seven. I hope I could see them， but I guess it will be long.
??? My husband， John， is very busy now， in fact， busier than ever. He is so conscientious that he won’t go away for a weekend for fear that he won’t finish on time his program on Water Pollution.
??? Anyway， Mary， the coming Christmas day makes me think of you and recall all the nice times we used to have. John and I send our love to all the family and the wish that everything will be well with you.
??? Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Yours ever，
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Nora