Conroe Courier December 21, 2023

There have been so many gatherings around Walden amongst neighbors, friends and family that I cannot possibly give all of them the justice they deserve. Just suffice it to say that the Walden community has embraced the holidays.

On a personal note, this is my third Christmas season since the loss of my husband Carl. Although this is not exactly a Christmas story, it is one that he loved telling. It is a memory from the very start of our marriage. Carl and I both shared a unique sense of humor and found that laughter was a key ingredient to our successful union. 

The day we moved into our first home together:
   
My dear husband had moved so many times during his days as a single guy that he kept the original boxes of everything he owned.  I’m talking the original boxes for everything.  Plates – he’s got it, including the inserts for the plates.  Silverware – yep.  Glasses, hot air popcorn popper, pots & pans, stereo speakers etc. etc.  He had so many boxes that when I first met him, he had a designated bedroom where he had stored just his boxes. Seriously, I opened the door of one of the rooms and asked, “What’s all this?”  He’s response, “Oh, that’s my boxes.” Like everyone in the world has a box room.

When we moved into our new home, I made him cut down his boxes and put them out for thrash pickup.  No box room here!  It was September at the time.  The Houston area in September can be hot.  It was very hot on this day.  He is outside with a box cutter cutting down what I feel sure he thought was hundreds of boxes.  About midway through, he comes in for a drink of water, looks at me all sweaty and miffed and says, “If you ever leave me, you are going to have to find me some new boxes for my stuff!”.  To which I lovingly replied, “Sweetie, if you ever do anything to make me leave you, you ain’t going to have no “stuff”.  He laughed out loud, finished his water and headed back to cutting up his boxes.

I know, it’s a pretty heartwarming story.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and safe travels.

Karla Seidule may be reached with Walden news at karlaseidule@icloud.com