The Reason for the Season...

Well, Christmas is fast approaching and I am having a tough time getting in the Christmas spirit this year! Really, this used to be one of my favorite times of year. I loved the snow, the lights, the tacky handmade Christmas ornaments that my kids made each year of elementary school (and I still have and hang every one of them, much to their dismay!) This year is different.

I guess it was to be expected. Fall was a tough time. My Mother had a heart attack, followed by triple bypass surgery and my Father passed away the day before Thanksgiving. That in itself, pretty much ruined any chance this year of "Happy Holidays!" But then, the upside started to appear-my brother (yes, the Irish Twin) announced that he would return to KC for the holidays. My daughter, the Army Medic, announced that she too would return to KC for the holidays. My sister, bless her heart, was finally able to return to work and is starting to return to somewhat of a more normal life (or what passes for normal when you are the parent of 4 children, all still in school, with one a teenage driver, and one with a learners permit!) I know, starting to look pretty good, right?

You don't know my life! Truly, I live "TheWorldTurnsGuidingLightYoungandtheRestlessIworkinthedaytimeanddon'tknowthenamesofthesoapoperasanymore" kind of life. In my life, what goes up, must come down. It is! Up-my daughter is home and my son-in-law hopefully will get leave in time to fly in Christmas Day. Down-my pretend-adopted-son, Emmett, will be home tomorrow or the next day, but then leaves to go back to Ft. Bragg, and then Iraq, on New Year's Day. Up-my daughter and son-in-law are expecting a baby boy around the middle of May! Down-my son-in-law got word today that he leaves for Iraq around the same time! Are you seeing the teeter-totter here?

Now, don't get me wrong! My Dad was a proud Marine. Semper Fi! My daughter and son-in-law and my pretend-adopted-son all serve, along with many other friends and loved ones, and can't begrudge a deployment. It's a voluntary military and they are willing to do their duty! There are so many families facing the same situations, or God bless them, situations much worse. I guess I'm just tired and don't think I can take much more bad news right now. I think we all put such high expectations on this time of year. Somehow, we seem to have lost perspective on the "reason for the season". I just watched the evening news, where they showed various holiday-themed clips... NFL football players taking up the handicapped parking spaces because they could afford the fine and didn't want to walk a little farther (I can't even delve into this topic any further right now without blowing a gasket!); people fist-fighting in the parking lot over up close parking spots; the usual Christmas shoplifters; and a host of other heartfelt and touching stories. Then I watched the story of the family who lost a son in Iraq, but fought to adopt their son's battle buddy-who happened to be a bomb-sniffing german shepard, and who was also injured in the attack. After nine months, they finally got the Marine's to release this fine animal from the Corp. and into their loving care. (A first ever for the Corp!) He will live out the rest of his days with the family of the Marine that he lay down next to as he died. The animal that licked that Marine's wounds and tried to keep him alive until help could arrive, unfortunately without a happy ending. After hearing that story, I started feeling kind of guilty for whining! It may have been a rough couple of months, but hey, it could be worse!

So maybe, the solution to this dilemna is to remember what this season is all about. Perhaps we all need to count our blessings and take advantage of each and every moment with the people we love. We need to bite our tongue when unkind comments want to leap from our mouths. We need to practice patience, with those around us, and with ourselves. We need to be grateful for what we have, and pray for those who have less, are suffering, are lost. We need to remember that it isn't about the gifts and the tinsel and the parties, but about the family and the heart! And most of all, we need to thank God for all he has given us, and pray for those in harms way who put their lives on the line everyday to protect us.

May you all have a wonderful holiday season, whatever holiday you celebrate! May you be safe, loved, and may we all live long enough to see true peace on earth!
Happy Holidays!