Saturday morning I woke up to a white blanket of cold fluffiness. It didn't come as a surprise as snowflakes began to fall Friday evening. However, 2 feet of snow was a shock; the last time we had a blizzard was in 1996. Yes, this counts as a 'blizzard' in Virginia. We had 2 weeks off school; I remember it well. Since it's been three years since I've experienced snow, my brother had big plans of burying me in it. While he didn't succeed, he did get a couple shots of me digging out the driveway and of my car decorated as a snowman.
However, as I thawed out and tried to download the pictures to my computer, my camera card broke. Three years and my 1 GB XD card dies. I can't complain; my camera and its accompanying card traveled many, many miles over numerous different types of terrain in its lifetime. It recorded thousands of pictures of Cambodia, people and cats. It lasted through my MCC term and that was my original plan for it. But it would have been nice for it to last for the snow and the holidays. It's the end of an era, and I'm going through camera withdrawl.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Family
I love my family and both sides of it-Myers and Buhrman. Growing up, my brother and I were the only grandkids far away (far away being 3 hours by car). My parents grew up about 30 minutes away from each other, just across the Mason-Dixon Line and their siblings stayed close by. When I was three my dad was transferred with his job to Virginia and here we remain; Virginia has always been my home.
Christmas is my favorite holiday. The Christmas story is one of my favorite passages in the Bible and I love the Christmas season – carols, candlelight services, giving gifts, the joy and anticipation of Christmas day. It also didn’t hurt that I would normally have 3 Christmases- my nuclear family, Myers grandparents and Buhrman grandparents. Four years ago when I was contemplating what would come after college, I figured I wouldn’t be around for Christmas for awhile. It turned out that I wasn’t around for the past three Christmases. It was the first time someone from my family wasn’t there. However, that first Christmas Eve watching the sun rise over the Gulf of Thailand in Kep, I had the blessing of my family to be serving God in Cambodia. They were at peace with me being gone.
This Christmas I will be home. For the first time in 4 years, my family will be together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I can’t express the joy that bubbles forth when I think about this. The thing I missed most about Christmas when I was in Cambodia was listening to Grandpa Myers read the Christmas story from Luke. My brother even recorded it for me in 2007 and mailed the CD to me. It was the best present ever. I’ve been so blessed that my grandparents are still alive; there were points over the past three years I had my doubts. This Christmas I’m so looking forward to listening to my grandpa read the Christmas story as we all gather around. All I want this year is for my family to be together and listen to my grandpa read the Christmas story.
However, my family, like most families, doesn’t always get along. I’ve always thought that even though we have our differences we still work them out enough to enjoy laughing, eating and talking together. But something has changed since I’ve been gone, and it’s not just marriages or babies or moving. It’s something bigger; differences are becoming irreconcilable. Mutual understanding is gone and grudges have taken the place of tolerance.
I thought my family was going to be together this year; I would get my wish. But no, it can’t be. We’ve become narcissistic, stubborn, judgmental and hurt. We refuse to travel 2-3 hours in a car. Seriously is that it? 2-3 hours? I know I’m the one that left; I’m the reason we haven’t had Christmas all together for so long. But, maybe, could we just have this one last Christmas together? Could we enjoy each other while we still can, before we’re gathered for a funeral? Can we avoid the ‘should haves’ and just do it now? It’s only sitting in a car. It’ll be over in a few hours. 3 hours is a trip from PV to PP. It’s not that far. It’s not a 2 day plane ride. We’re so close…can’t we just be together?
Christmas is my favorite holiday. The Christmas story is one of my favorite passages in the Bible and I love the Christmas season – carols, candlelight services, giving gifts, the joy and anticipation of Christmas day. It also didn’t hurt that I would normally have 3 Christmases- my nuclear family, Myers grandparents and Buhrman grandparents. Four years ago when I was contemplating what would come after college, I figured I wouldn’t be around for Christmas for awhile. It turned out that I wasn’t around for the past three Christmases. It was the first time someone from my family wasn’t there. However, that first Christmas Eve watching the sun rise over the Gulf of Thailand in Kep, I had the blessing of my family to be serving God in Cambodia. They were at peace with me being gone.
This Christmas I will be home. For the first time in 4 years, my family will be together to celebrate the birth of Jesus. I can’t express the joy that bubbles forth when I think about this. The thing I missed most about Christmas when I was in Cambodia was listening to Grandpa Myers read the Christmas story from Luke. My brother even recorded it for me in 2007 and mailed the CD to me. It was the best present ever. I’ve been so blessed that my grandparents are still alive; there were points over the past three years I had my doubts. This Christmas I’m so looking forward to listening to my grandpa read the Christmas story as we all gather around. All I want this year is for my family to be together and listen to my grandpa read the Christmas story.
However, my family, like most families, doesn’t always get along. I’ve always thought that even though we have our differences we still work them out enough to enjoy laughing, eating and talking together. But something has changed since I’ve been gone, and it’s not just marriages or babies or moving. It’s something bigger; differences are becoming irreconcilable. Mutual understanding is gone and grudges have taken the place of tolerance.
I thought my family was going to be together this year; I would get my wish. But no, it can’t be. We’ve become narcissistic, stubborn, judgmental and hurt. We refuse to travel 2-3 hours in a car. Seriously is that it? 2-3 hours? I know I’m the one that left; I’m the reason we haven’t had Christmas all together for so long. But, maybe, could we just have this one last Christmas together? Could we enjoy each other while we still can, before we’re gathered for a funeral? Can we avoid the ‘should haves’ and just do it now? It’s only sitting in a car. It’ll be over in a few hours. 3 hours is a trip from PV to PP. It’s not that far. It’s not a 2 day plane ride. We’re so close…can’t we just be together?
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