I won’t lie, December 24th and 25th are difficult days for me. As a Christian, I know it’s about the birth of our Lord and Savior, but it hurts every year when Christmas Eve and Christmas Day come and my husband and I have no family to spend the holidays. His grown children disowned him when he married me. My nephews have moved across the country with families of their own. This year, I lost my ex-brother-in-law to cancer back in May. I lost my God-parents three years ago and Three years ago next week, one of my close friends committed suicide. Those were the few people we shared Christmas.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the season. Working in a private school, the children are still allowed to sing Christmas carols, make gifts for their parents, and decorate the huge Christmas tree that stands in the hallway. The staff does “Secret Santa” and every year we have a staff Christmas party hosted by our boss. I love to entertain, so I decorate the house and host our bible study group one night in December. But those two days are reminders that it’s just the two of us with no fellowship with others. However, there is a silver lining in all of this.
Back in August, my husband and I began following the Ketosis diet. We splurged tonight and had shared a baked potato with our ham and green beans. What a treat that was. No candy, cookies, pies or specialty desserts this year. We are grateful we won’t fight the five or more pounds we gain between Thanksgiving and New Years Day. We also didn’t max out our credit cards on gifts.
Yesterday, I kept my mind on the birth of Jesus and gave thanks to God for giving us the best gift ever. I also lit a candle and said a prayer for those who are no longer with us, and for all others who have no homes due to the Campfire in California.
Today, the tree came down and the decorations have been put away for another year. December 26th is a regular day. I don’t return to work until the 7th of January, so I will continue to listen and follow Jesus on this new adventure He has started with me. Jesus comforts our soul and eases our pain. I am grateful for the wonderful husband I have, our home, our community and our church. Happy New Year!