Having a family member serving overseas during the holidays can be interesting and memorable.
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One of the ways my Family tries to get through the holidays with our loved deployed is to continue our normal holiday traditions. While some are easier to manage, others we decide to hold off on until my husband is back home (like hanging outdoor Christmas lights: I really don’t like doing it, and I am afraid of falling off the ladder).
A few of our traditions for Christmas are ordering Chinese takeout on Christmas Eve, watching “White Christmas,” making cookies for Santa, reading “The Night Before Christmas” and going to Midnight Mass. I am thinking of starting a new one, staying home on Christmas Day and visiting Family the day after.
Our very first holiday as a married couple we got to spend together but the second one he was deployed. Even if your loved one is thousands of miles away, you can still celebrate it together, but it WILL take some creativity. It is amazing what technology can do these days and how it can be a major help in celebrating the holidays with your Family. You can Skype on a tablet or even your phone.
This year we are going to have daddy on the iPhone when we open presents. While he won’t be able to physically touch them, he will be there to see the reactions as the children open their gifts. During previous holiday deployments, my husband made sure to call us when we were visiting our extended family, because they always love to hear from him. This year I have a treat for them all; they will actually be able to see and talk to him via Skype and I can’t wait! It will be an experience for my family as well to see how technology has advanced (I grew up in a house that had a rotary dial phone).
Regardless of which holidays your Family celebrates, this time of year is about kindness, caring, love, and peace. It is important to focus on the things you are grateful for. I have been trying to teach my kids why we celebrate this holiday and how it is important to help others in need. If you can’t make it home to your family during the season, know that there are other Army Spouses on base may not have been able to make it home either. So you will always have your {{Army Family}} to talk to-they understand and know what you are going through. If you are feeling down, it’s okay to talk to someone and ask for support, because it can be rough going through the holidays alone. There will be times when you (and your children) will be very emotional, knowing that your loved one will not be spending one of the most special times of the year together. But what we do is look forward to the coming months when our family will be together again.
One of the ways we take our minds of the issues, especially around the holidays, is to give back to the community. I like to participate in a food and blanket drive for homeless Veterans. When I was a Girl Scout leader, we had always held a holiday food and clothing drive and donated the items to homeless shelters and food banks here in Fayetteville, NC.
So as you celebrate the holidays this year, I ask you to remember those deployed and serving our country. I also ask you to remember the Family members and loved ones of those who are deployed, as well.
Army Families are Army Strong!
Blog post submitted by Ms. Crystal Cavalier, 2011 Army Spouse of the Year
What holiday traditions do you continue (or not) when your loved one is deployed?
