Sitting at work today staring out of the rainy windows, I suddenly remembered that somewhere out in the wild blue yonder I have a blog that I could be writing on. Today will probably be the only day that I remember to write on this blog for another two years judging by my past writing history. Nevertheless, at least today I am writing.
I finished the fall semester of my senior year just a few days ago, and already I am bored. It never ceases to amaze me: drilling my brains and running off of zero energy for so long at the end of the semester, begging for break to come, only for three days of break to pass until boredom begins to set in. A vicious circle, truly. Perhaps this break is so boring because it lacks that which all of my other breaks have thus far: family. My senior year in college, and this is my first Christmas away from my parents. As pathetic as it may seem, I wish I could just be back in their house with its familiar smells, food and company. But not this year…
This year I get to enjoy my first Christmas alone with my husband. Money was more than too tight this month to even consider making the 1000 mile trip back to our hometown for the holidays. As much as we will miss being with our siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews this year, we will have each other. For that we are more than thankful.
Being alone, especially without any money, often times will push people apart from one another. For us, it has brought us closer than ever. For the first time, we find joy in the quiet times we are spending together. Laying in our bed listening to the rain splash on the roof and pavement outside of our window has suddenly become a soothing symphony. Hand washing our dishes together has become a time of laughter, dancing to music, and tickling one another while praying we don’t drop our porcelain plates. Boxed macaroni and cheese has become a hot gourmet meal that satisfies the rumbling in our bellies for a mere $.52/box. There is so much beauty in simplicity.
Christmas is just 4 days away. Our tiny little tree is decorated with our lights and our ornaments. Nothing special, but they are ours. Hung on the wall are the cheapest and most generic stockings we could find. No names on them, just different colors so we know which stocking belongs to whom. Nothing fancy, but they are ours. This Christmas will be unlike any other before, but this Christmas will be ours.
