Yesterday, after being up since 6am, scrambling to a baby doctor appointment with Alli,departing ways for me to rush to work to intercept a hectic day and she driving KC to a doctor appointment in the east bay for a persistent cough, I finally met up with the two at our old house after they had worked the whole afternoon trying to finish going through the “end” stuff of our move. Alli admitted she ended up passing out for an hour of that on a mattress (intended to get rid of) on the floor WHICH was the first nap she has taken in her almost 36 weeks of pregnancy. (I can hear the whispers of “I told you so” from across the land.) We knew what we were getting into with trying to move now and if all the other “normal” chaos of work and kids and life would decrease in volume…it would possibly be tolerable. However, that’s not reality and the REALNESS of THIS reality (yeah, I just said that) is that all the “normal” stuff has seemed to inteNSIFY! Call it God’s sense of humor or just life teaching us a lesson…whatever…here we are. WHATEVER!
So I walked through the door of the old house early evening yesterday and found Alli and KC on the empty floor going through a pile of the four year old’s art projects. There’s a challenge in deciding what to keep and toss! I immediately go into “let’s get going” mode so we can begin the journey back to the city in the rain. Now, with no offense intended to my beautiful wife and current presently youngest child, trying to get a 36 week pregnant lady FOCUSED on a task AND a four year old girl to instantly change direction and leave within minutes reminds me of farm days while trying to get 60 or more sheep all through a gate intended for one human. It’s not going to be fast, simple or easy. So, within minutes of “herding”, the four year old (as she often does) breaks into song. But this time it wasn’t from Frozen or something Pop one of her older sister’s shared. It wasn’t even a Christmas song from her current favorite Pentatonix album. A Christmas song, yes, but none that I had ever heard her sing or even knew she had learned yet.
“Where are you Christmas…why can’t I find you…”
She sang in her pre-school diva-esque voice. She really didn’t know much moreof the song than that and when I tried to join in I quickly realized I was way too exhausted to recall any more of the words as well. But, we both sang the first line several times last night as we finally made our way on to the road, stopped at IKEA, grabbed food, failed miserably at getting her to take her medicine, put her to bed WITHOUT a story, and then fell asleep while trying to finish, oh hell no, START Christmas shopping online in bed with my wife. Slept until 3:30am when the phone woke me with a new death call and, as often the case, couldn’t fall back asleep. So, I laid there first thinking of what the new day has in store and my list and then revisited the last day. But from out of all the chaos of the day, KC’s random single line song kept floating to the top. “Where are you Christmas…”
Awake. In the same room as last week’s post. The boxes unpacked have been replaced by more brought over. Our place is getting pulled together and starting to look like a home. But, honestly, the only signs of Christmas this morning is a confirmation email from last night’s online shopping (thanks to Alli for not falling asleep) and the Starbucks Christmas Blend I just popped into the Keurig! We haven’t even moved the red and green Rubbermaid over yet!
KC, my daughter, your song and the question it asks is valid. In the middle of all this excitement, craziness, , frustration, stress, stress, STRESS…where are you Christmas and even more important…where are you Christ? No, we don’t need a tree, lights, gifts or sprinkled colored sugar cookies to validate Christmas, but we should take the TIME out from whatever else we are striving and fighting for in life to honor the season, family, tradition and above all Christ in Christmas. We have been scrambling to find some peace with all this insanity and completely ignored the Prince of Peace in this Season.
As a father I have dropped the big tinsel ball on that this year!
Once again I am reminded that sometimes my best lessons in how to be a good dad and grown up come from my children.
Tonight we take the TIME to get a tree and put out the nativity…
-life as eric
I love this post! I have a similar situation and am also living in a sea of boxes from moving last weekend so this really hit close to home for me… thanks for the reminder and Merry CHRISTmas!
Hi Monica! Sorry for the delay in responding. Hope your Christmas was wonderful and that the unpacking is coming along. Thanks for reaching out!