A Different Kind of Christmas

You know things are different when drive-by Santa has become the norm!

This year will look a little different in the Krauss house, too, as I’m sure it will for most people. With the ‘second wave’ still rolling in, we’ve been told not to gather in large groups but to stay within our own households. My husband is working away this year and so I am basically a household of one this holiday season. Not to make anyone feel too sorry for me. One of my daughters lives in our small community of Tumbler Ridge and she and her husband and baby son have been in my bubble from the start, so I am going over to their house to watch little Freddie’s first Christmas morning. Beyond that, I have no plans but anticipate a quiet and reflective day. I actually enjoy my own company.

I admit that a couple of weeks ago when my husband was last home, I cooked a turkey and my son and his wife came over, too. Earlier that week, my other two daughters came for visits with their children (on separate days, mind you) so I have actually been blessed with seeing all of my offspring this month. I am thankful for video chats and the ‘Marco Polo’ app, too, where I get an almost daily glimpse into the grandchildren’s antics.

I can’t help but think of how things were in centuries past. When pioneers left their loved ones behind and sometimes had nothing but letters for the rest of their lives. This was the case for my grandmother when she came ‘west’ from Nova Scotia. She only went ‘home’ once in her lifetime and my mother never did meet her grandparents. I came across a very touching letter from my great grandmother to my mother when she was probably still a teenager. It was heartfelt and loving, even though they had never actually met. I suppose it goes to show that it’s what’s in the heart that matters.

In the end, perhaps this is a good reminder to us not to take our own loved ones for granted. We are so used to seeing them regularly, or at the least, still being able to talk and interact virtually, that it really is a far cry from the old days.

Here’s wishing you and yours a blessed – although possibly quiet – Christmas. Jesus is still the reason we celebrate and he is always with us.