Christmas lights, food galore, gifts for the kids, and final deployment dates — the company Christmas party had it all. Thirty minutes after we arrived, one of the guys my husband works with asked me, “Where’s your Christmas spirit?”
“I think my husband might have accidentally packed it in the bag that’s on its way to Iraq,” I thought sarcastically. Though, what I said was, “I’m saving up for Christmas day.”
And I know I’m not alone in this. Although many, myself included, find a way to be joyful for the Christmas season, that official date puts a bit of a damper on any party. Buried beneath friendly greetings and pleasant exchanges were the quiet conversations, filled with “I’m not ready” and “Here we go again.”
For me, Christmas seems unreal. Seventy degree temperatures and ice-free roads make this native Iowan forget that we’re approaching winter, let alone the holidays. Pair that with our Christmas tree-less house and lack of official gift exchange, and the giant blow up snowman down the street seems strangely out of place and time.
Since I’m headed north to visit family, I’m assuming the Christmas spirit will greet me with welcoming drifts of snow. But when I think of what’s in store for my husband, I can’t imagine how he’ll manage to be jolly. So, I’ll stuff a package with video games and homemade cookies, in hopes of sending some of that holiday magic his way. And I’ll smile, because he smiles, and that’s reason enough for me.