This is the year.......looking forward to Christmas for once

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kage_ar said:
I pray to have your kind of joy and peace!

I lost my job a year and a half ago, I have 2 part time jobs, DH has one and picks up some odd job work (send up a prayer if you would, his part time job is in jeopardy as we cannot afford a phone or inet access at home anymore).

It is not the gifts or shopping that I am mourning, it is that we will not be able to visit our family. They are 250 miles away. My BIL is just back from Iraq and he and my baby sis will even be there for the holidays. I want to hug them so bad, and we will not be able to. DH’s PT job is retail, and there will be no way he can travel even IF we found the gas money.

There go the tears again.
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Not spending Christmas with family would be the hardest of sacrifices for me. I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you’re going through this. I want to give YOU a hug!!

I read a book one time, in which the characters were all asked to give their favorite quotation. It was Abraham Lincoln who gave the line (supposedly first given by King Solomon)…“This too shall pass”. Lincoln said that when times were really bad, the words reminded him that it won’t be this way forever…when times were wonderful, it reminded him to be totally aware of/grateful for the Joy, because it won’t be everlasting either.
 
kage_ar said:
I pray to have your kind of joy and peace!

I lost my job a year and a half ago, I have 2 part time jobs, DH has one and picks up some odd job work (send up a prayer if you would, his part time job is in jeopardy as we cannot afford a phone or inet access at home anymore).

It is not the gifts or shopping that I am mourning, it is that we will not be able to visit our family. They are 250 miles away. My BIL is just back from Iraq and he and my baby sis will even be there for the holidays. I want to hug them so bad, and we will not be able to. DH’s PT job is retail, and there will be no way he can travel even IF we found the gas money.

There go the tears again.
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There’s no other way to put it - that just stinks! I’ll pray something changes for you! Soon!
 
Yes - taking the shopping element out of the equation can really make an incredible difference in the feel & tone of the Season.

My wife & I haven’t purchased or made anything for each other in years - including Birthdays, Anniversaries or Holidays. We are so at peace with that we don’t even consider anything else.

We do provide some small item for our nephew & niece.

Our child, who will be 16 months at Christmas will not get anything this year either from us.

In fact, I had asked my wife if she’d consider raising our child not to believe in Santa and everything else that comes along with the Madison Ave / Wall Street version of the season. She is still on the fence.

In any event we agreed any gift giving for her as she ages will be minimal at best.

👍
 
kage_ar said:
I pray to have your kind of joy and peace!

I lost my job a year and a half ago, I have 2 part time jobs, DH has one and picks up some odd job work (send up a prayer if you would, his part time job is in jeopardy as we cannot afford a phone or inet access at home anymore).

It is not the gifts or shopping that I am mourning, it is that we will not be able to visit our family. They are 250 miles away. My BIL is just back from Iraq and he and my baby sis will even be there for the holidays. I want to hug them so bad, and we will not be able to. DH’s PT job is retail, and there will be no way he can travel even IF we found the gas money.

There go the tears again.
Click to expand...
sending prayers for a Christmas visit. If it’s not in God’s will, praying for a joyful Christmas at home.
 
kage_ar said:
I pray to have your kind of joy and peace!

I lost my job a year and a half ago, I have 2 part time jobs, DH has one and picks up some odd job work (send up a prayer if you would, his part time job is in jeopardy as we cannot afford a phone or inet access at home anymore).

It is not the gifts or shopping that I am mourning, it is that we will not be able to visit our family. They are 250 miles away. My BIL is just back from Iraq and he and my baby sis will even be there for the holidays. I want to hug them so bad, and we will not be able to. DH’s PT job is retail, and there will be no way he can travel even IF we found the gas money.

There go the tears again.
Click to expand...
You are certainly in my prayers. I had a thought that may give you something to think about. When my son was little, he was invited to spend a week’s vacation with his cousins who lived about a 3 1/2 drive from here. It was just the two of us and we live on a farm. There was field and garden work, and animals to care for. I also play at several churches each weekend. So, I really couldn’t afford a 7-hour drive in one day.

His grandfather would meet us at a half-way point - actually, it was a 2 hour drive for him, 1 1/2 hours for me. So, I spent 3 hours on the road instead of 7. We’d visit for awhile, he’d take my son along, and we’d both head back home - middle of the week, traffic wasn’t bad.

I thought perhaps you could arrange something like that with your family. Find a central point, make reservations at an inexpensive eating place, and visit while you eat. No dishes, a shorter ride for everyone which would save on gas money. Middle of the day, Buffets are usually not too expensive. Cici’s Pizza - about $5 - 6 per person, all you can eat - my son loves it!!! If your relatives have the internet, they could do some research in your area. Perhaps, they could treat you as their Christmas gift to you. I always believe that where there is a will, there is a way!!

Again, I will keep you in my prayers. God bless you and your family. Thanks also to your brother-in-law for his service. Tomorrow, I am playing for our Veterans’ Day Mass. I will be thinking of you.
 
LindaSK said:
You are certainly in my prayers. I had a thought that may give you something to think about. When my son was little, he was invited to spend a week’s vacation with his cousins who lived about a 3 1/2 drive from here. It was just the two of us and we live on a farm. There was field and garden work, and animals to care for. I also play at several churches each weekend. So, I really couldn’t afford a 7-hour drive in one day.

His grandfather would meet us at a half-way point - actually, it was a 2 hour drive for him, 1 1/2 hours for me. So, I spent 3 hours on the road instead of 7. We’d visit for awhile, he’d take my son along, and we’d both head back home - middle of the week, traffic wasn’t bad.

I thought perhaps you could arrange something like that with your family. Find a central point, make reservations at an inexpensive eating place, and visit while you eat. No dishes, a shorter ride for everyone which would save on gas money. Middle of the day, Buffets are usually not too expensive. Cici’s Pizza - about $5 - 6 per person, all you can eat - my son loves it!!! If your relatives have the internet, they could do some research in your area. Perhaps, they could treat you as their Christmas gift to you. I always believe that where there is a will, there is a way!!

Again, I will keep you in my prayers. God bless you and your family. Thanks also to your brother-in-law for his service. Tomorrow, I am playing for our Veterans’ Day Mass. I will be thinking of you.
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That is a great idea, if there were fewer people involved, it would be workable - thing is, my family (parents, sibs, spouses and kids) is 20 people and DH’s family is another 13 - they would have to rent a bus to come meet us half way 🙂 Thanksgiving will be the one day of the year when all the family (except for us) will be in the same town.

I know people have it far worse, and I will offer up my sufferings.
 
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