It got me to thinking about all the ways this holiday was not going to be routine. I will not be sending out Christmas cards. I normally use Christmas cards as an opportunity to catch up with all kinds of people from our past. Old military friends, some college buddies, and lots of family we don't see through the year. I write a newsletter, hand sign a stack of cards, and try to write a short personal greeting in every card.
Most years, DH sits down with me and shares the work. He complains about the number of cards, the price of postage and the hassle of writing them out. Then I remind him that it's the only contact we have each year with a lot of those people. This year, I gave my family gift cards in Christmas cards, but those will be the only cards that go out this year. First, I don't have a return address yet. Second, I'm not sure what it would cost to mail a letter to the US. By this time next year, I'll probably have a better plan.Generally, at this time of year, I am hip deep in some kind of Christmas craftiness or baking. I do some kind of gifts for the people who report to my husband (I always think bosses should give their employees nice presents, don't you?) And the Christmas cookie exchange has been a ubiquitous part of my holidays for the past few years. You make a big batch of your favorite Christmas treats, then you go and trade off with a bunch of other cooks and you come home with a huge variety of treats, instead of a bunch of a single kind. I love Christmas baking.
I love the scents and sounds. I abhor fruitcake. You couldn't pay me to bake one of those, but otherwise, most of the holiday treats bring a smile to my face. This year, I don't even have access to a kitchen, let alone the supplies needed to bake traditional goodies. Margaret Golla, a writer friend of mine (and I use the word 'friend' loosely after this week), has been posting play-by-play updates on Facebook as she does all her holiday candy making. I'm so jealous I could spit.While we were in Texas over Thanksgiving, we stayed a few nights with friends in Friendswood, TX.
This guy is the holiday decorator of the family. He pulled down a huge supply of Santas, garlands, lights and wreaths and decorated their lovely home. In our family, that's my job. All except the outside lights, because I don't do ladders. We helped him out a bit, then enjoyed the festively decorated house and yard. This year, my holiday decorations are trapped in a 40 foot container motoring slowly across the ocean headed for Tunis. I didn't even realize this would bother me. But it does. A lot.All these traditions are things I've done for years. Because I've always been in control of my surroundings and my schedule. I could schedule my evenings and weekends. I could make lists and plot and plan. But not this year. My life is in flux. I'm living out of suitcases and my holiday will be celebrated in a hotel room. Although some of the lacks make me a little sad, the holiday is still sacred. I will spend my holiday season imagining a young pregnant woman and her new husband trailing across this landscape to get to Bethlehem to register. As I look at my hotel room, I will imagine inns bursting at the seams and an exhausted family only too glad to take up space in the stable. As I look up into the night sky, I will imagine the star shining down, highlighting the miracle birth of Jesus.
I may be skipping all my traditional trappings, but Christmas is Christmas because of Christ's birth. And no amount of stuff, or absence of stuff can change that.
--Sandee Wagner
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