What May Be Missing

Today,

I had to keep kicking the homesick monster in the head
but he kept rearing up to take another bite. 

Holidays... he's much stronger this time of year, so sometimes he wins and I'm a miserable cow.
It's the children I worry about. They seem to be doing so well with their transplant here in a new country. Is that normal?

And then...

Miss Ky said, "You know what we haven't had in a long time?"

There it is, she ISN'T fine! She's missing some part of our traditional English lives! A Panto? Mince pies with double creme? Cadbury Advent calendars? Celebrations chocolate? School Nativity play or Christingle? Mounds and mounds of Christmas cards to carry to her school friends?

What could this child be reflecting on that has been ripped from her life in the past 6 months?


"Head lice".



Oh, that. Hmph. Yeah, forgot about those (recurring) traumatizing experiences...
I'm not so homesick now.



What's missing (but maybe not "missed") from your traditional celebration this year?

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat

Please put a penny in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a penny, a ha'penny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny, then God bless you!

Miss Ky will be caroling tonight with the Girl Scouts. We received the lyrics to one of the songs and it's almost enough to make me keep her home and just bake cookies.

"We wish you a happy holiday, We wish you a happy holiday, We wish you a happy holiday and a happy New Year. Good tidings we'll bring...". Recognize it? It's "We Wish you a MERRY CHRISTMAS".  

CHRISTMAS!

WHAT other holiday are they singing about if the words "happy New Year" are included? Hannukah is over, Kwanza? 

And speaking of Kwanza, our family was introduced to the holiday by Steve... or Jo... somebody on Blue's Clues years ago, so I've always respected that there is another holiday to acknowledge in December. 

However, the Wiki definition of the foundation of this relatively new holiday is that it will "give Blacks an alternative to the existing holiday and an opportunity to celebrate themselves and their history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society."

Seems a little misleading. 

Are we saying Blacks couldn't possibly be Christian and have only been practicing Christianity because the dominant society forced it upon them?

Does Jesse Jackson agree with this?

My daughter, whose eyes still sparkle at the mention of anything Christmas, is going caroling tonight. She will sing songs about a neurotic reindeer and a snowman nearing meltdown and belt out a bit of a Brenda Lee favorite, but before she goes, she will learn the lyrics of "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and which holiday OUR family is preparing to celebrate this month.

For those of you who are celebrating anything other than Christmas this month, Happy __________ to you. Wishing you peace, good health and happiness. May you always have the freedom to enjoy the things that are dear to you, free from persecution or hostility.

And to the Merry Christmasers,

Bom Natal e Feliz ano novo from our home on this tiny island in the Atlantic.

quiet

Ahhh, quiet.


I have given the gift of silence for the past month. Yeah, that's it.

Strange emotions during the holiday periods. I know everyone's experiences are different.

We've just hit that 6-month mark that supposedly means one is beginning to acclimate to the new surroundings, but with goodbyes to new friends and the uncertainty of when and where we'll go next, I think I need another 6 months.

As we prepare for Christmas in the U.S.A (first time in 8 years), there's no trimming the tree, baking goodies, wrapping gifts (or buying for that matter- airlines restrictions) and no planned holiday meal or Christmas morning waffles on the calendar. It feels really strange.