Celebrating the Holidays When Our Loved Ones are Deployed
By Marisa Rivera
When I think of the Holidays, I think of joyful large family gatherings, lots of food, sweets, special drinks for the holidays, friends’ parties, etc. I also think of long car trips trying to make it to our destination, but always with great anticipation of seeing the people we love. All of that changes when you have a loved one deployed or on assignment away from home during the holidays. Missing a loved one and knowing they might be in harm’s way, can make it difficult during the holidays. But, for the sake of those who are away, and those who stay behind, it’s important to keep things as normal as possible at home and in your life. That is what your loved one would want you to do, and you must make the extra effort for those who are left behind, especially if there are little ones involved, because deployment affects everyone. Here are a few creative ideas some of my military family and friends have suggested that you can implement to ensure a holiday season full of cheer, warmth, and cherished memories.
-The military is YOUR family too. Don’t spend the holidays alone. Reach out and celebrate with other spouses and families that are experiencing deployment.
-Preparing and sending care packages for your loved one, with love letters, pictures, favorite holiday foods, drawings made by the kids, decorations, fun activities, etc. Make sure that everyone in the family contributes, that way they feel part of the holiday spirit and understand that although they might not be present now, they are part of the holiday season.
-Use technology to stay connected – We live in amazing times, and we have the greatest gift of facetime, zooms, skype, etc. where we can see each other in actual time, although we might be thousands of miles away. Make sure the whole family gets to greet and see each other as often as possible, trying to make things as normal as possible. Older children might enjoy creating a social media post or a power point to share – always keeping good operational security as needed.
-Frame pictures of your loved one in a holiday frame, so you can see andcelebrate him/her during these special times.
-Honor and celebrate family traditions and create new ones. If you are living overseas, try adapting some of the new host country’s traditions and incorporate them into yours.
-Focus on being grateful – Focus on the meaning of the holidays. Focus on the things you are grateful for instead of the things you wish were different. When sharing a meal, go around the table and have everyone share something they are grateful for.
-Create diaries and scrapbooks of the holidays, take pictures, videos and take notes, involve the kids and their creativity, so when the loved one comes back you can share those memories with them.
-Volunteer - Helping other families, donating toys, visiting nursing homes, serving in a soup kitchen, can help spread the cheer and shift you and your family focus to the positive.
During this holiday season, let’s not forget the 2.5 million service men and women serving in our U.S.A. military (DOD-2022 demographics) and those who are in the front lines, serving this country and away from home. They are sacrificing so we can be safe at home. Our prayers and blessings to all military service members and their families during this holiday season. Happy Holidays!