The holidays can be filled with love and joy, but when you are fighting memories and heartbreak, the holidays can be anything but joyful, especially if you've lost someone close.
My dad passed away 6 months ago. It was absolutely heartbreaking for my entire family. When Christmas came 5 short months later, I felt like we were all holding our breath. If we let out the air, the pain would be too sharp to handle. Without Dad, we couldn’t muster any enthusiasm for our annual Christmas traditions. Dad was goofy at Christmastime and his excitement was contagious. No one could take his place; in fact, no one wanted to.
Everybody has their “firsts”; first relationship, first party, first kiss; my family will have many different “firsts”. We’ll have our first Father's Day, first birthday, first spring break without my father. I guess Christmas was our first “first” without him. The sting of not having dad around this year really hit my mother, sister and I pretty hard. I had a hard time coming across his stocking in one of our Christmas decorations box. Should we hang it up like we do every year? --Or would that be “weird”?
Dad loved Christmas. Each time a year a Christmas song sung by Diamond Rio or the song “Angels We Have Heard on High” -- I think of my dad. I think about him and I riding in his 2005 Chrysler van listening to Christmas songs and making up excuses to take the “long way home” (in reality, there was really no long way home. We just drove around in circles for a long time) just to listen to more Christmas songs.
Every Christmas Eve and Christmas days we would attend the Christmas services and hear about the forthcoming of our lord and savior.
My family are faithful believers in Jesus, so this has nothing to do with wondering “where” dad is. We know he's home! But, on a very personal note, he is still much missed, here.
I don't usually write to bum you out. Instead, I hope to encourage those of us who have had a recent loss. It is through the Christmas story that our salvation plan starts. With that sweet little baby who is humbly lying in the straw of that stable, God has given us the gift of eternal life, with Him. As an added “gift,” we also look forward to spending eternity with our loved ones. No more sorrow. No more pain.
This truth really is celebratory!!
This year we decided to hang Dad's stocking on the mantle, like we always have. And even though he's now living in Heaven, we know that Dad is still part of our family. We joyfully look forward to being with each other again, one day!
Isaiah 9:6-7
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given,
and the government will be on his shoulders.
And he will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 Of the greatness of his government and peace
there will be no end.
He will reign on David's throne
and over his kingdom,
establishing and upholding it
with justice and righteousness
from that time on and forever.
The zeal of the LORD Almighty
will accomplish this
