The Christmas rush is upon us once again as December fast approaches. Malls and shops are all a flutter, with shoppers searching for those special deals to wrap and place under the tree for loved ones. The aromas of Christmas infuse the air around us with nutmeg, cinnamon, and pine.
Our hearts will take hold of the season while we enjoy the evergreens, fresh baked cookies, and cakes, as the winter wonderland of fresh snow begins falling. We will snuggle under the covers of our warm comfortable bed, as the wind howls outside our window, reminding us that good ole Saint Nick will soon be here.
On Christmas morning, we will gather to celebrate the holiday with family and friends, then share the opening of presents stored under our beautifully decorated trees. We will attend services in our local churches, or venture off to soup kitchens to help feed the less fortunate.
While we each enjoy this holiday season, I ask that everyone take a few moments and think of our fellow Americans around the world who will have a different type of Christmas.
For many, Christmas will be just any other day; they have a job to complete. There will be no evergreens, fresh baked cookies, cakes, or warm comfortable beds, only cold chilly days in a land far from home. There will be no beautifully decorated Christmas trees, evergreens, or stockings hanging by a fireplace. For most of the day there will not be thoughts of presents or goodies, because where they are, there are none. As they drive along the streets of this far off distant land, they might see a child missing a leg, smiling brightly and waving hello, as they drive by. Thankful for the security these men and woman provide them each day, neighborhood children appear out of nowhere, smiling and waving, cheerfully.
There will be no lavish meal to weigh them down during the day, for they only need one hour in a day to find nourishment; thirty minutes for breakfast and dinner, it is just another day. Throughout the day, these men and woman will not share gifts, nor will they complain about things taking up space, because they do not need much to survive, only each other. Many will share remaining minutes of a calling card, so someone may call home. They will give an old CD or something they once valued, to a friend to show how much they care. The will read holiday cards to each other, from loved ones, knowing that the love from one belongs to them all. Their tree is barely three foot tall and decorated sparsely with ornaments. Maybe there might even be mini lights lining the interior of their room or makeshift offices. Someone will wish for one hour of peace and quiet, and dream, if only, they could get away from the humming of the generators. They will adopt a neighborhood filled with children and deliver gifts sent from home; soccer balls, toys and goodies. To them there is nothing more worthwhile than to see a child who has nothing at all, light up like a Christmas tree, filled with bright lights at receiving a new toy. To them the children of the little neighborhood in which they have adopted are the key to their success. The children will help them influence and convince the elders they are not evil, they have been portrayed as.
While they drive through the desert, they will wonder what the Magi (the three wise men) thought of as they walked through the desert, making their way to Bethlehem, which is only five hundred miles away from where they are now. Knowing all the while, if they fail in their mission, what the will result will be; to living in a country without being able to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas ever again. Where the mere mention of Christianity would result in a head being cut-off and they realize why they are there.
Some will stay up until three in the morning to watch a football game allowing their thoughts to transport them back to their high school days, youth, and family. This provides them with a sense of familiarity of home for a little while. At the end of the day, they lay in their bed after an eighteen-hour workday, reading that letter they saved from home. Wondering about their family, praying they are able to enjoy Christmas without worrying about them. In the blackness of night, others will stare into the sky, devoid of smog and lights to gaze upon the most incredible stars shining brightly overhead.
The people I speak of should be clear to my readers, for they are our fellow Americans standing tall and proud - the men and woman of our Armed Forces stationed in Iraq and Afghanistan and throughout the world. This holiday season, I ask each and everyone to put aside their political ideals and think of them because they are representing us all in a foreign land, protecting those around them. They are sacrificing time with their families and loved ones by protecting the less fortunate on this earth. While they carry out their daily duties, they have within their hearts the hidden key many of us have failed to understand: the compassion and strength to do what is right for the people they are protecting. Their veins flow with the blood of the founding fathers and those who went before fueling the torch they carry with them - the legacy of what it is to be an American.
Merry Christmas to the brave men and woman of the United States Armed Forces, may God be with you and keep you safe.
1 comment:
what a beautiful blog!!!!!definatley heartfelt and needs to be read by the masses!!!!
Post a Comment