So it was Christmas Eve last year when I found "Hold You (On Christmas Eve)" by Carly Thomas. Yes, yes...I found "Hold You (On Christmas Eve)" on Christmas Eve. Point is, it was really a little late to do anything about it--at least as far as the site goes. Yeah, I could have tossed up the video without much commentary--that's pretty much what I do here between Christmas and New Years. But I really liked the song and thought it deserved better than that. So I just tucked it in my back pocket and that was pretty much that. And, then, in the off-season, I was busy trying to close out Mom's "estate" (which still isn't done) and I forgot all about it.
Not long ago, Carly sent an email to the people on her mailing list (I'm on a lot of mailing lists)--tis the season, don't forget my Christmas song, and... Oh, hey, that's right. I loved that thing. And so now, albeit a year after its release, I finally get to share it with you properly...with commentary (what, you thought the soup was free?).
"Hold You (On Christmas Eve)" is Christmas Eve from the point of view of the missus--Mrs. Claus. I don't want to say Christmas is a sexist holiday but, really, the only two female characters are Mary (a virgin) and Mrs. Claus. And Mrs. Claus is either portrayed as a little old lady who bakes cookies, or some sexed up ho ho ho. And, OK, I get it; she's fictional. But why is Mrs. Claus never portrayed as a full and complete person--just like the rest of us?
I'll tell you what. I had an uncle who was a truck driver. And, for a long stretch there, he was almost always on the road at Christmas. I remember how he'd come home a day or two after Christmas with Hess trucks for the kids. Do you think my Aunt just sat around humming carols and baking cookies? No. She missed him, she worried about him. There wasn't a moment or thought of Christmas that wasn't accompanied by a thought of her husband, and she counted the seconds until he was home safe. I know that time moved very, very slow for her every Christmas he was on the road.
So, at last, Carly makes Mrs. Claus real. Like any wife whose husband is on the road for business, she misses him and can't wait for him to get home. And the thing is, she is never going to be held by her one true love on Christmas Eve. It's not like Santa can call out sick for the day. And she can't make the trip with him (for reasons that Carly explains).
Anyway, I know I babble on. But "Hold You (On Christmas Eve)" does actually bring tears to my eyes. It does. Yeah, I'm just a big sentimental softy at heart. But it couldn't make me cry if Carly hadn't made Mrs. Claus real.
And, besides, look at the adorable cats and kittens in the video. How could you not love that?
"Hold You (On Christmas Eve)" by Carly Thomas is available through Bandcamp. You'll note that it's one Canadian dollar, but that's a good thing for us in the states since, at the current conversion rate, that's about 75 cents, give or take. And, if she impresses you as much as she impresses me, you can follow Carly on Facebook or through her website.