I've never been away from home on December 25th.
I always have made sure that when Christmas rolls around I'm right there with my family, and I have a hard time picturing Christmas without them. This year, however, I'll be spending Christmas about 4300 miles away from home. I'll be here, in Wiesbaden, Germany, while my family is in South Carolina. And honestly, I hate every bit of it.
Don't get me wrong, I am so thankful to be in Germany in the first place. It's difficult to get an assignment like this, especially as a first assignment. It very rarely happens. And to be right in the middle of Europe is a dream come true for me. I can see so much of the world I never imagined I'd ever see. But on days like Thanksgiving, Christmas, my Birthday, it makes things difficult.
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You know the song "I'll Be Home for Christmas?" I never gave it a second thought until this year. Until this year, I was always home for Christmas. The thought of being so far away was never something that crossed my mind. It was impossible, the thought of not being with my family. Now it almost breaks my heart when I listen to it.
This Christmas, I'll be spending my time with a theater family I've become particularly close with. I can't tell you how grateful I am for how they've opened up their family to me and how thankful I am for everyone in this theater for opening their hearts to me.
But for some folks, they won't have someone to spend Christmas with.
Every Christmas, deployed soldiers or lonely veterans spend the holidays alone. And for someone who's gone through the hell of a deployment, that can be a terrible thing. Thankfully, there are so many programs out there designed to help deployed soldiers and veterans, and a great deal of them buckle down during the holidays and help these people when they're alone or just need a hand.
First off, the Elks Adopt-a-Veteran program provides families and homes for those former service members who don't have a home to stay at for the holidays. Secondly, the annual Vet's Christmas Parade is an annual event in multiple locations in South Carolina that raises money and donates 100% of proceeds to veterans. The last program I'll highlight here is none other than the USO. The USO is a very widespread program that helps soldiers on bases, in airports, and in so many other places.
If you want to look at more ways to donate, this link will take you to the page I pulled these programs from. I couldn't recommend each and every one of them enough. Also, make sure you do your own research. Many other programs out there aren't on this page, programs like the Wounded Warrior Project, the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and Homes for Our Troops.
Make sure that this Christmas, everyone has someone. Not just in their dreams.
