The auditing department at my employer, MHTCO, had a Christmas party at a restaurant in the financial district just before Christmas. I brought Kat to the party; no makeup and she looked terrific. This was the first time we attended a party as a married couple. Most of my fellow workers in the auditing departing were Irish and Italian; they were older versions of the fellows who lusted after Kat in high school by a range of 10 – 25 years. Kat had not lost any of her abilities to charm men of this type. She was the life of the party. Her personality, good nature and looks just jumped out at everyone. Many of them asked her to dance and she obliged them until I decided I would rather it be me who was dancing with her. Kat was the subject of discussion in the office the next day and my fellow workers opinions of me rose by a huge factor. There was one sad note, for me, at the party. One of my fellow workers was Fred Stern, the only other Jew in the department. Fred was accompanied by his wife, also a very pretty Irish Catholic girl named Kathy. Kathy and Fred had gotten married about five months before Kat and I. Fred asked me how my parents accepted the marriage between Kat and I. I told him that everything was good, we had no problems. Sadly, Fred told me that his parents could not accept the marriage and he was estranged from his parents. The only thing I could think to say to him was to give it time and maybe his parents would come around. His parents reaction was very common at the time. It made me realize how fortunate Kat and I were to have both sets of parents so accepting.
Our first Christmas as a married couple Kat and I went to visit her family in Avon By The Sea, New Jersey. We had been married 28 days. This was my first Christmas with my Irish Catholic family. We spent every Christmas with her family after that first year until we moved to Seattle in 2011. We were showered with gifts and I was made to feel very welcomed. They wanted me to feel like a part of the family from the very beginning and they succeeded. They loved Kat deeply and they were determined to share that love with me. We could not have received a better welcome. Father Dan and I had something in common as we were both New York Giant baseball fans and we both married a beautiful girl named Kathleen. Kat’s mom worked very hard to please me just as my mom worked very hard to please Kat. They probably both should have relaxed a little more but their heart was always in the right place. Kat’s sister Deirdre (Dee) was 22 years old; another feisty beautiful Irish girl but with blond hair. I believe that Dee had graduated from St. Elizabeth’s college the previous June. Younger sister Donna was a 16 years old redhead with a beautiful Irish face. She attended St. Rose high school in Belmar, one town south of Avon. Kat and Dee looked like their mom, Kathleen, and Donna looked more like their dad, Danny. It is hard to write about them with any perspective during these time period because I have loved them for at least four decades. Kat’s mom’s sister, aunt Eileen, was undoubtedly present for Christmas as she would be for every Christmas for the rest of her life. Aunt Eileen was more than just an aunt. She was totally unique, very funny, sometimes without meaning to be so, and truly beloved by the entire family. I believe that Kathy was her favorite (sorry Dee and Donna). Kat visited her on many weekends when she was in college; Eileen’s apartment was a lot closer than her parents. Kat and I visited her many times over the years as a married couple. Eileen was the only person I ever met who loved both President Kennedy and Rush Limbaugh. Kat was very much like her as they could both be the life of the party. This was the first of 43 Christmases I would spend with them. When I was growing up I loved spending Passover and other Jewish holidays with my grandmother and extended large Jewish family. As a married adult I loved spending Christmases and other holidays with my extended Irish Catholic family and the soon to be Italian members. I grew to love them and I hope they realize how important they are to my life.