Friday, December 26, 2014

A very Different Christmas

 
 
Bob's Amazing Poinsetta
 
 
 




Happy Holidays
 

The holidays have always been my favorite time of the year. I love the crisp air, the first snowfall and all the hustle and bustle of family and friends. The songs and the pageants, the concerts and the parties the Holy hush that comes over the sanctuary as we remember Christ’s birth.

It’s a time in our lives where some of our favorite memories reside. It starts with our almost unbearable anticipation as children and gradually changes as we grow and add new members to our families. We start new traditions and argue about old ones. As time goes on it both changes and stays the same.

Last year Bob and I decided to stay at home and not travel to a family house party. We felt that it Was not safe to travel and the demands of his care made staying elsewhere very difficult. We are glad we did. We had a very laid back day. We stayed in our pajamas and ate everything that wasn’t good for us. We watched movies, and texted some friends who were watching the same movies at their house. We skyped family and showed each other our new Doglettes - nothing funnier than seeing some poor dog being held up to the webcam. We waited with huge anticipation for the Holiday 50th anniversary episode of Dr. Who and went to bed early.

It had been hard to make that call, because we were saying not just no to coming for that Christmas, but that as far as we knew we had to create a new Christmas normal. Traveling in the winter was no longer an option. Fortunately the year before we had a wonderful family celebration and now we could look forward to creating new ways to celebrate. We enjoyed that Christmas very much. Bob and I have always enjoyed each other’s company and it was a lovely day with just the two of us.

And once again it is time to create a new set of Christmas and holiday traditions.

 

On May 5, 2014 God took Bob home



Recently I attended a seminar on how to cope during the Holidays after the loss of a loved one and I came away with a few thoughts. Most importantly about how this season is the season for Hope and Joy and especially in the light of Bob’s going home this year.

Because God sent His Son Jesus to earth as a little babe who grew and lived just like us for 33 years before taking upon himself the burdens of our sin and carrying them to the cross to pay the price we couldn’t pay. Because he conquered death and rose again, we are reconciled to God and look forward to spending eternity with him in a new heaven and a new earth. A new home where there is no more pain, no more sorrow and no more death.

Because of Christmas and what it means to us, Bob is not “Lost” to us. He is home with God and waiting for us to join him.

So I have Joy that he is no longer in pain. In fact he is probably running around looking at everything, taking stuff apart and asking a gazillion questions. “Just out of curiosity….” was a favorite phrase of his. I have the Hope of being ushered into God’s presence someday and Bob will be right there ready to greet me.

So I will spend this holiday adjusting to new ways of celebrating, looking over precious memories and embracing the Hope and Joy of the season and being grateful for all it stands for.

May you all be embraced by the Magic of this season, look forward with Hope to the future, have many reasons to be Thankful and have a Joyous Holiday.

Love,



Susan & Suzette