Love the ones you're with.
Christmas Tree at Daley PlazaToday I got my plane ticket home for Christmas.
There are no words to describe how excited I am to come home (well, okay, I suppose there are a few).
It is funny to hear my family and friends tell me over the phone about the present scramble to get things ready for the holidays (decorate, bake, buy gifts, etc.). I have to remind myself that it is that time of year again, because there are virtually no reminders of it around here. No (sometimes annoying) Christmas music blaring in every store. No Salvation Army Santas on the corner. No special Christmas candy out for sale yet. No pine tree lots, no twinkle lights framing home windows, no holly wreaths, no egg nog or peppermint stick ice cream in the freezer case.
It took the special Thanksgiving foods we enjoyed (and have been enjoying since Sunday--thank you LEFTOVERS!!) and having a "houseful" to bring me back to the feelings of being with family. Eating mashed potatoes and chicken, and having punkin pie with ice cream brought me back to glorious holiday weekends (especially with the Andersons!) with my family. And friends are never a substitute for family, but sometimes, your friends become your family. This experience made me hunger again for those original family times, in a way I hadn't up 'til now...it made the realization of the coming Christmas even more real.
The thought that I will soon be able to hug my mother and father so very tightly (many times, probably several times a day if I have my way!), sit and catch up with my brother and sister, tickle and joke with my nephews, and laugh with my nieces, is sooooooooooooooo thrilling. Just 27 more days 'til I can do it. I can't wait. It will be so wonderful.
There have been so many moments over the past year when I've thought "Man, I wish I could talk with ______" or "Gosh, I'd sure love a hug from _________" or "There's no one who understands me quite like ________". In these moments, I could never access the desired person. Sometimes I was by myself, and sometimes I was with other people, but they just weren't what I needed at the time. And during the past months a song has come to mind--"Love the One You're With", by Crosby, Stills, and Naish. It's a super cheesy reference, but the lyrics are true for this situation--"when you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with".
So many times I haven't been able to be with the ones I love (and that's just part of the bargain in being here), and since I cannot do a proper job of loving from afar, I have poured my love into those around me here. Our friends. The other teachers. The kids. So often when I've wanted to be playing with my nieces and nephews, I put that energy and desire into the students. And with their excitement and laughter and joy, they minister to me. They love me back. The other teachers offer encouragement and support when I've needed it, and our friends show kindness and loyalty to us. We have loved and have been shown love greatly.
Babbie (a fellow teacher) and I were showing "The Santa Clause" movie to some of our kids yesterday (it is yet again exam time for the middle school students, and we were trying to do something a bit lighter). Now, the Santa Clause is by no means a great movie (especially not as Christmas movies go), but I hadn't seen any holiday films yet. And I don't know why, but it got to me. The reciting of the Christmas Carol, stockings, Christmas trees, even talk of Santa Clause. It got to me. It got to that warm, fuzzy, nostalgic, I-just-wanna-be-home-with-my-family part of me--I guess you could say, the kid in me. My mind started to wander to family dinners, being snuggled up on the couch in front of the fire with my mother, playing games, listening to good Christmas music (of which I forgot to bring any!) and seeing my father cooking in the kitchen, taking walks at night to see the neighborhood lights. Getting theological with my brother and my Dad, and talking about the church. Talking over friends and relationships with my sister.
I don't know what the conversation will be like this year. I won't be good at discussing movies, music, or most pop cultural references. I'll be lousy at going over the latest and greatest in American politics (I'll leave that to Paul). I don't know what the new trends are in fashion or the best new shows on TV. All I can do is share my experiences, and my hopes for the future, and to eagerly listen to theirs.
That, and more importantly, to embrace them all severely and say...I love you. I've missed you so much. It's so good to be home.
There are no words to describe how excited I am to come home (well, okay, I suppose there are a few).
It is funny to hear my family and friends tell me over the phone about the present scramble to get things ready for the holidays (decorate, bake, buy gifts, etc.). I have to remind myself that it is that time of year again, because there are virtually no reminders of it around here. No (sometimes annoying) Christmas music blaring in every store. No Salvation Army Santas on the corner. No special Christmas candy out for sale yet. No pine tree lots, no twinkle lights framing home windows, no holly wreaths, no egg nog or peppermint stick ice cream in the freezer case.
It took the special Thanksgiving foods we enjoyed (and have been enjoying since Sunday--thank you LEFTOVERS!!) and having a "houseful" to bring me back to the feelings of being with family. Eating mashed potatoes and chicken, and having punkin pie with ice cream brought me back to glorious holiday weekends (especially with the Andersons!) with my family. And friends are never a substitute for family, but sometimes, your friends become your family. This experience made me hunger again for those original family times, in a way I hadn't up 'til now...it made the realization of the coming Christmas even more real.
The thought that I will soon be able to hug my mother and father so very tightly (many times, probably several times a day if I have my way!), sit and catch up with my brother and sister, tickle and joke with my nephews, and laugh with my nieces, is sooooooooooooooo thrilling. Just 27 more days 'til I can do it. I can't wait. It will be so wonderful.
There have been so many moments over the past year when I've thought "Man, I wish I could talk with ______" or "Gosh, I'd sure love a hug from _________" or "There's no one who understands me quite like ________". In these moments, I could never access the desired person. Sometimes I was by myself, and sometimes I was with other people, but they just weren't what I needed at the time. And during the past months a song has come to mind--"Love the One You're With", by Crosby, Stills, and Naish. It's a super cheesy reference, but the lyrics are true for this situation--"when you can't be with the one you love, honey, love the one you're with".
So many times I haven't been able to be with the ones I love (and that's just part of the bargain in being here), and since I cannot do a proper job of loving from afar, I have poured my love into those around me here. Our friends. The other teachers. The kids. So often when I've wanted to be playing with my nieces and nephews, I put that energy and desire into the students. And with their excitement and laughter and joy, they minister to me. They love me back. The other teachers offer encouragement and support when I've needed it, and our friends show kindness and loyalty to us. We have loved and have been shown love greatly.
Babbie (a fellow teacher) and I were showing "The Santa Clause" movie to some of our kids yesterday (it is yet again exam time for the middle school students, and we were trying to do something a bit lighter). Now, the Santa Clause is by no means a great movie (especially not as Christmas movies go), but I hadn't seen any holiday films yet. And I don't know why, but it got to me. The reciting of the Christmas Carol, stockings, Christmas trees, even talk of Santa Clause. It got to me. It got to that warm, fuzzy, nostalgic, I-just-wanna-be-home-with-my-family part of me--I guess you could say, the kid in me. My mind started to wander to family dinners, being snuggled up on the couch in front of the fire with my mother, playing games, listening to good Christmas music (of which I forgot to bring any!) and seeing my father cooking in the kitchen, taking walks at night to see the neighborhood lights. Getting theological with my brother and my Dad, and talking about the church. Talking over friends and relationships with my sister.
I don't know what the conversation will be like this year. I won't be good at discussing movies, music, or most pop cultural references. I'll be lousy at going over the latest and greatest in American politics (I'll leave that to Paul). I don't know what the new trends are in fashion or the best new shows on TV. All I can do is share my experiences, and my hopes for the future, and to eagerly listen to theirs.
That, and more importantly, to embrace them all severely and say...I love you. I've missed you so much. It's so good to be home.
posted by streetwise at 4:26 AM
1 Comments:
Oh, Aub, we will be so glad to see you again too - and give you a great big hug. I know you have missed out on a lot of family gatherings, but we'll still be the same people waiting with open arms. Can't wait to see you in 20 some days! Love you.
11:23 AM
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