So This Is Christmas

I set up the Christmas tree my Mother sent me, and it's sitting next to me now as I type this. It's so small and adorable, and it fills my heart with Christmas joy, the likes of which make me want to bake tree-shaped cookies for 72 hours straight.

Not exactly your Charlie Brown tree

I enjoy the timing of Ukrainian celebrations in relation to American celebrations. Today, in America, it is Christmas Eve. In Ukraine, it's simply Tuesday. But because next week begins their school break, all this week is filled with New Years concerts and celebrations. Their New Years is a lot like our Christmas. They have New Years Trees, which doesn't quite roll off the tongue for me  like Christmas Tree.

So, even though I'm away from my family and friends, I'm still surrounded by joy. I'm surrounded by excitement and festivities and little pieces of home, both new and old.

I cut about 100 snowflakes for my school's New Years Concerts. I was glad to be of some use, especially around the holidays. I had my students help me and I gotta say that their craft skills improved by a million as we littered the floor with more and more shards of paper. We listened to N'sync's "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" on repeat - my choice, not theirs.

I'm not looking at this Christmas as the second one away from home. I'm looking at it as my last one in Ukraine. Every bit of what I see, I may be experiencing for the last time. You think that thought would scare me, or make me rush - and, okay, sometimes it does - but I feel overwhelming gratitude for every passing minute. I've got nothing to fear. It's all happening, it's happening right now and I'm there, right in the middle of it. 

So, every dance, every piece of tinsel, ever paper cut, every shot of vodka, every Russian voiceover in Home Alone, every hug, every high five, handshake, "hello" and "good-bye" is a gift. My only worry is that I will never be able to pay them back. Guess that sounds like a pretty solid start to a very worthy New Years Resolution...

In the meantime - Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!