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Child brings
holiday joy

During the season when I should be decking my halls with boughs of holly, I have found it hard to muster the motivation as "jolly" is not the adjective I would use to describe my situation.

My husband, Chris, is deployed to Iraq, and although I've thus far been able to hold down the fort -- child fed, dog walked, house cleaned, etc. -- seeing other families make way for Christmas has been a stark reminder of what I want most for Christmas: having my husband back home safely. He loves traditions, and would no doubt be busy decorating our yard and house if he were home.

Due to the separation, I had planned a low-key Christmas for my 2 1/2-year-old daughter and me. My daughter has other plans. This is the first year that she really understands what Christmas is all about. Each day, I am regaled by a new set of questions and observations from a fresh little mind.

"I just love Christmas lights!" she proclaimed yesterday as we drove around our neighborhood.

"Mommy, Santa is nice, he gives presents," was an observation that made me laugh because, although we've talked about Santa some, she seemed to grasp the concept immediately.

Now I am bombarded with requests to "sing the baby Jesus song" ("Silent Night"), and every crèche we walk by in the neighborhood has to be examined very carefully. She points out the star and all of the people involved in that blessed event.

I am learning second and third verses to Christmas carols that I had long ago forgotten, and in the midst of all the singing, explaining and, yes, finally decorating, I have found to my amazement that the spirit of Christmas is rising within me. You can only sing "Silent Night" so many times before you are calmed and reminded of what Christmas is all about.

This is my second Christmas in Hawaii, and while it is different from in my home state of Oklahoma, I am impressed by the seasonal aloha.

It is the first Christmas I am seeing through the eyes of my child. She makes what was compulsory now joyful, and we will celebrate this year with gusto.

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