For Christmas this year I got:

• A fancy hotel room at the Aspen for a week;

• Dozens of new friends; 

• A different person/restaurant made me dinner every night for a week including: a salmon dinner from Karl Lusis and Rebekah Waddell, a halibut dinner from Travis Kukull, pizza from Alpenglow, and tasty dinners from Sarah-J’s, American Legion and Salvation Army;

• Nolan Woodard, Riley Harrison and Wiley Betz brought me a chocolate advent calendar, a guitar, Lucky Charms, and a mason jar full of wine;

• Paul and Jeanne poured me free beers;

• Janine Allen and Jenty Fowler checked up on me every day, with lots of late-night conversations and Port Chilkoot rye whiskey;

• Jim Lampkins loaned me his handmade bass guitar;

• Lizi Wirak got me a new pair of sandals;

• A studio apartment at Mountainview

• A dozen offers for rooms and housing;

• Messages on Facebook pouring in from across the globe;

• Hundreds of people expressing sympathy and support

For Christmas this year, I traded my worldly possessions to have everyone in my life tell me how much they love and appreciate me. Turns out that’s more than a fair trade.

Joe Aultman-Moore

Author