Thanks for passing this on, Roger:

I have a list of folks I know, all written in a book

And every year at Christmas time, I have a little look.

And that is when I realize that these names are a part,

Not of the book they’re written in, but of my very heart.

For each name stands for someone who has crossed my path sometime

And in that meeting they’ve become the “rhythm of the rhyme.”

And though it sounds fantastic for me to make this claim,

really feel that I’m composed of each and every name.

And while you may not be aware of any special link,

Just meeting you has shaped my life more than you’ll ever think.

For once you’ve met a person, the years cannot erase

The memory of a pleasant word or of a friendly face.

So never think my Christmas card is just a mere routine

Of names upon a Christmas list, forgotten in between.

For when I send a Christmas card that is addressed to you,

It is because you’re among the folk that I’m indebted to.

For you’re a part of the many friends across the years I’ve met

And happen to be one of those I’d rather not forget.

And whether I have known you for many years or few,

In some way you have had a part in shaping what I do.

And every year when Christmas comes, I realize anew

That one of the greatest gifts of life

Is having a friend like you!

~Author Unknown

Melanie Hack
Author of Who Killed My Sister, My Friend
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