Red and green ornaments. Christmas trees. Apple cider and hot cocoa. Sugar cookies. Cold weather, mittens and snow....oh wait...I mean dust, yes dust.
Yes it's still the holidays all the way over here at least in the white people's homes and we are trying our best to make it festive and bright. Enjoying the cold evenings and mornings when I can drink a cup of hot coffee and not starting sweating in the process.
Despite everything we are doing, it's hard to be away from family for the holidays. Last year (our 1st away) we took a vaca to the lovely and exotic Morocco andforgot about tried to forget about the season. Then the 25th hit and I was devastated not to be around a tree with wrapped presents and with family. I realized that we had made a mistake in trying to forget the pain, the loneliness, the emptiness.
And so we pushed forward, coming up with our own new traditions to do here. We decided that we would find our joy in Christ this year and not be overcome with the sorrow of being away. I will/ still do cry, but I remind myself of God's leading, His calling on our lives, His presence and joy that fill my heart. I remind myself that I am not alone. There are thousands of families that are separated each year. Military, m's, NGO workers, and others just like me are trying to cope the best they can without their family nearby. And so when those days come we will make cookies, sand dune sled, drink hot cocoa and give our own shoeboxes to some families and kiddos we know could use some "merry". We will choose to celebrate Christ's birth with our friends here and love on those around us.
And we will count down the days until my parents and my brother arrive in January and be lucky enough to celebrate a late Christmas with them. Until then, if you are around our families this holiday season then please give them some extra love will you? Because it's just as hard, if not harder, on them too!! And whether they will admit it or not, they could use some love this season!
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Yes it's still the holidays all the way over here at least in the white people's homes and we are trying our best to make it festive and bright. Enjoying the cold evenings and mornings when I can drink a cup of hot coffee and not starting sweating in the process.
Despite everything we are doing, it's hard to be away from family for the holidays. Last year (our 1st away) we took a vaca to the lovely and exotic Morocco and
And so we pushed forward, coming up with our own new traditions to do here. We decided that we would find our joy in Christ this year and not be overcome with the sorrow of being away. I will/ still do cry, but I remind myself of God's leading, His calling on our lives, His presence and joy that fill my heart. I remind myself that I am not alone. There are thousands of families that are separated each year. Military, m's, NGO workers, and others just like me are trying to cope the best they can without their family nearby. And so when those days come we will make cookies, sand dune sled, drink hot cocoa and give our own shoeboxes to some families and kiddos we know could use some "merry". We will choose to celebrate Christ's birth with our friends here and love on those around us.
And we will count down the days until my parents and my brother arrive in January and be lucky enough to celebrate a late Christmas with them. Until then, if you are around our families this holiday season then please give them some extra love will you? Because it's just as hard, if not harder, on them too!! And whether they will admit it or not, they could use some love this season!
