The Birthday of Christ

I am a geographical bachelor.
I intentionally fashioned my schedule for these last three months before retirement so we could race to Destin once each month. With a two-week-on, two-week-off schedule we are making only one round-trip per month, reducing dollars spent on fuel and wear and tear on the car. It provided an additional benefit we hadn't thought about before:
We don't have to pack the car. We'll need our stuff when we return. So we lock the condo door behind us and smile.
It's a great convenience.

But I have known for some months now I would be working Christmas Eve and Christmas night.
Since I work 12 hours, when I get home at 8 A.M. or so I can be pretty worn out depending on what sort of night I have flown. Christmas for our family has always been odd...
Big Bubba and Sara Jean wide awake, waiting for me to come through the door so we can open presents, and me so tired I just want to get 'em all opened and get to bed.
It's been especially tough on my son and I respect him for putting up with it for so many years.

But since I'd be working this last Christmas of my EMS career, we made plans months ago for Sara Jean to fly West to spend Christmas with Big Bubba. Neither of us has been with him in months, so we've begun to yearn for face-to-face time.
I obviously can't go, but she CAN. And since I'm working anyway, what better time?

So she flew to Mesa last week and left me alone for the holidays. We both know it's best. But there's still something melancholy about being alone on Christmas day. 
Opening our presents "together" via a SKYPE video call tomorrow will be an interesting experience, and will certainly be better than years past when a short telephone call would have to suffice.
New technology has spoiled us so.

I hope everyone reading my words finds themselves surrounded by loved ones this day. I hope you eat too much, laugh too much, and go to bed exhausted from "Too much fun".
I hope you all travel safely so you and yours will have nothing but good memories of Christmas 2012.
And I hope you know I look forward to seeing you all soon, whenever that may be.

Be safe and well, everyone. I think you may soon be hearing wonderful news from our VK family.


Happy Birthday Lord.
Bless us all, please.