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Christmas Wishes from the Summers
AKA “The Infamous Christmas Letter---Summers Style”
By spikeNdru, December 2003
For Painbow, who (inadvertently) gave me this idea.
Disclaimer: Joss imagined, ME created, Fox owns, I’m borrowing. If there is a problem with that, contact my attorneys at Wolfram and Hart.
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1997
Merry Christmas to all our friends, and our wishes that this joyous season finds you happy, healthy and hopeful. Thankfully, we are all of the above, in spite of the many changes in our lives this past year. I wanted to get this out early for those of you who may not know—we have a new address! As sometimes happens, Hank and I found ourselves going in different directions (he and his secretary went west, to an ocean-view condo, and Buffy and I went north, to Sunnydale).
We found a lovely home on Revello Drive that is just perfect for us and I bought a small art gallery. I’m so excited about it. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of doing, and if not now, when?
Buffy is settling in well, and is currently a Junior at Sunnydale High. Can you believe it? Her new school is much smaller (and hopefully less flammable) than her old school in LA. She’s made some nice, new friends and is doing well in her classes. I was a little concerned, at first, about how such major changes would affect her, but she arranged for tutoring on her own in subjects she felt she needed a little extra help with. Her friend Willow has been very supportive (and an excellent academic role model) and her friend Darla helped her with history (never Buffy’s strong suit, and Darla was apparently an expert on Colonial history and the Revolutionary War).
This fall, Buffy was put in charge of Parent-Teacher night. She did the decorating, the refreshments, the scheduling, and I can’t tell you how proud I was of her! She made the whole evening an experience we can all live to remember.
Well, I guess that’s all the major news from our end. This past year has been life-changing, but very rewarding.
Our best wishes for a peaceful Holiday Season and a wonderful New Year.
Joyce and Buffy Summers
1998
My goodness, how time does fly! I can’t believe it’s already time for the Holidays again. It has been another eventful year for the Summers clan.
The gallery is doing well and I really love it. I’m enjoying all aspects of the work, and although it does take up a good bit of my time, I haven’t become ALL work/no play Joyce! I had been involved with a book club with some very lovely women, which I enjoyed immensely. Unfortunately, the club disbanded after the leader, Pat . . . found herself unable to continue. I’ve also managed to get out occasionally. I had been seeing a man who designs computers, but it turned out he wasn’t my type, and I went to a sort of *70’s Theme Party* with the librarian at Buffy’s school, but right now, my life is too full for any major romances!
Buffy has been keeping very busy also. She has some wonderful friends, for which I’m very grateful. She had briefly dated a college boy that had been helping tutor her, but that seems to be over (for which I’m also grateful—he was much too old for her). She flirted with the idea of joining a rock band (I believe she was interested in playing the drums), but that idea petered out when the proposed lead singer left town (for which I’m sure our neighbors are grateful).
She spent the summer working as a waitress, but I must admit, I’m thrilled she decided to give it up and concentrate on school at present. Buffy has befriended a new girl at school and we’ve had her over for dinner several times. I worry about Faith; she just seems so lost. It’s hard moving to a new area, especially from clear across the country. Sunnydale must be a big change for her from Boston.
We’ve settled in and managed to make a place for ourselves. Hope the Holidays bring you joy and happiness and our best wishes for the New Year.
Joyce and Buffy Summers
1999
This really feels like the end of an era, doesn’t it? In another month we’ll be in a whole new century. It makes me feel both excited and terrified at the same time. I wonder how people felt preparing to ring in 1900. Could they have even conceived of the changes wrought in the past 100 years? I don’t think it would be possible. It feels like we’re standing on the brink of a whole new world that can be as wonderful or as awful as we choose to make it. My fervent wish this Christmas season is that humanity makes the right choice.
I seem to be very reflective this Christmas, don’t I? It may be partially due to the fact that my only child graduated from High School last May and is now a College Girl! Buffy has chosen to go to UC Sunnydale and is living on campus. The house feels so empty without her—but I’m glad she chose a nearby school so we still get to see each other frequently. I’m afraid I’m experiencing some of the dreaded *empty nest syndrome*. Buffy has grown into a strong, lovely, vibrant, independent young woman and I am so very, very proud of her, but it’s hard to let go.
The gallery is doing well and I find it very fulfilling. With Buffy at college, I’ve been able to manage more buying trips and am really enjoying that aspect. This was the first time in 20 years that I didn’t cook Thanksgiving dinner! I had been planning a buying trip to the Southwest and my sister Darlene (you remember Darlene?) who lives in Tucson invited me to stay with her family for Thanksgiving. Buffy and her friends planned and cooked their own Thanksgiving dinner! Willow’s family doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving (I don’t remember if it is because they’re Jewish or because of their political beliefs) and Xander’s family had other plans, so the kids all got together and started their own tradition! They said they had a nice, relaxing time with good food and good friends. I guess Buffy really went all out, because Giles later asked me if I knew what a *ricer* was—had to tell him I hadn’t a clue, but everything went well (even without the ricer!)
Our best wishes for your continued health and happiness this Holiday season and Happy New Century!
Joyce (and Buffy) Summers
2000
I feel very blessed to be able to send you our Christmas wishes this year. I don’t know where to start, so I’ll begin with our most recent activities and work backwards. First, the girls and I are just fine—better than fine. We’re great! It had been a rough fall, but we all came through with flying colors.
I had become ill in October, spent most of November in and out of the hospital for tests (you know how that is!) and the doctors finally ascertained that I had a brain tumor, of all things! They caught it early enough, the surgery was completely successful, and I’m going to be fine. Buffy was my rock throughout the whole ordeal. She was my strength and I don’t know what I would have done without her—she took excellent care of both me and Dawn. It looks like I may not be home for Christmas, but everyone has pitched in to help out and we’re all coping.
Buffy has been seeing a wonderful guy for the past year. I think this one may be THE one. He’s in the military and is a graduate Teaching Assistant at UC Sunnydale. He recently completed his Master’s degree in Psychology and seems to really love Buffy. I’m thinking there may be the possibility of an engagement this Christmas, but things have been so hectic with my illness and surgery—I’m just glad Buffy has had Riley for her support because she’s certainly been mine.
Dawn is in 9th grade this year. My baby is growing up so fast! She’s 14 now, next year she’ll be in High School, the year after that she’ll be eligible to drive, Buffy may be married by then . . . pardon me—getting a little nostalgic here! I’m just so blessed to have two terrific girls.
Willow has been wonderful—she’s been a good friend to Buffy and all of us. She’s been trying to help Buffy stay caught up at college while Buffy has been taking care of me and Dawn. She even played *Tiny Jewish Santa* and brought me gifts in the hospital. In many ways, she feels like my third daughter.
Xander is doing very well. He works hard and has been promoted to foreman at his job; he recently moved into a beautiful new apartment and seems to be getting serious with the girl he’s dating who is just perfect for him.
All in all, another eventful year at Casa Summers, but things are really looking up for us all.
Best wishes for a joyous Holiday season, a hopeful New Year and, as Tiny Tim says. . .*God bless us, everyone*.
Joyce, Buffy and Dawn Summers
2001
Greetings, friends and family of Joyce. I found her address book and I know she sent out a letter every year detailing the things that happened with her family. I am told that many people do this, although most letters are very pretentious and are only sent to impress people with how much money they make and how perfect their lives are so the recipients feel bad. Joyce wasn’t like that. I wanted to do something for Joyce because she’s dead and can’t send out her own letters this Christmas and everyone else seems to be either cranky or depressed and I can’t make her fruit punch but I can do this for her.
I’m Anya. Joyce mentioned me in her last letter. She said I was *perfect for Xander* and I think so too, and Xander must because he asked me to marry him and he bought me a beautiful ring that I couldn’t wear for months because Buffy was dead. But it was a mystical death and Willow brought her back so now I can wear the ring and we’re officially engaged. Oh, in case you’re wondering, we couldn’t bring Joyce back when she died last February because it wasn’t a mystical death—Joyce was just dead-dead.
We’ve all been working hard to take care of Dawn; since she’s not the key anymore she’s just a little girl. Buffy has been really depressed since she got back so the rest of us are picking up the slack.
Willow is a really powerful witch, but she kept doing spells that violated Tara’s mind, so Tara left her and they’re BOTH depressed and besides, Willow couldn’t do this letter anyway because she’s Jewish and doesn’t do Christmas. At least that’s what she says but she still comes over to our apartment every year to watch the Charlie Brown Christmas Special and see Xander do the Snoopy Dance.
Giles probably should have been the one to do this letter but he is a *prat*, a *berk* and a *git* as Spike says. I’m not really sure what that means, but I think it means everyone else is upset because he went back to England and left Buffy all depressed and with financial problems but the good news is, he left me the store and I am doing very well. I have a real aptitude for retail and love Christmas because everyone goes out and spends lots of money buying presents.
In reviewing Joyce’s last letter—Buffy and Riley didn’t get engaged (but Xander and I did). Riley left and I think Buffy is becoming interested in Spike. It’s about time. Because he’s been stalking her for years and they were briefly engaged when Willow did a spell that went wrong, but there was so much sexual tension between the two of them, you just knew it had to be more than the spell. At least I knew; Xander seems to prefer to live in a permanent state of denial.
Well, I guess that’s all the major news for this year. Have a good Christmas, spend lots of money because retailers value your patronage and the Christmas season makes up for the slow times during the rest of the year.
Anya Christina Emmanuella Jenkins (soon to be Harris)
The End
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