How To Make Room For The New Year 2024

Usually I wait until January 1st to put away Christmas decorations, but this year I started right after my yearly trip to Yuma to celebrate my sister’s birthday on December 26. December babies have to firmly establish that their birthday is a whole separate celebration from Christmas. Y mi hermana, has almost done that, except that some people (me) still wrap December birthday gifts with Christmas paper or bags, maybe what I need to do is shop in January for her birthday gift? The Greenes all know that right after Christmas Ben and I and anyone else who can, drive to Arizona and we enjoy a day with tia Marina and family. This short trip just about wraps up the year for me.

At the end of every year, I am usually too exhausted to do any serious work, so I relax a bit, as much as I can before our church’s annual new year’s eve potluck and “Talent or No-Talent” Show. No baking, shopping or wrapping helps makes for a restful moment, pero all the while my mind is conjuring up an act for the big show and a plan to face the Christmas de-decorating.

Este ano, I thought that I would give myself a head start, since packing up Christmas is left  to guess who? Por supuesto! Mom! She can handle it. De todos modos, I needed the hard work, I needed to keep busy porque mi mente, hijole! It is starting to over think this particular new year and the  changes that loom over us. Como siempre, I start with a solid plan for putting all the decorations. Bien organizada,  professional organizers might even approve of it. Asi es, I plan on putting all Santa and sleighs in one box, and snowmen in another, snowglobes separate, ornaments all together and so on. Pero, in the end, I’m tired and crabby, having those thoughts that moms get when kids don’t bother to help unless you ask and you’re left all alone in the sea of Christmas mess. Ya saben como es. Way before I can see an end to the work, my plan unravels and at that point all I really really want to be done, with the same or less amount of boxes to store. Pero fijense, it’s always like this: I scour the house looking for all things “Christmas” to pack up,  then carefully, or  mas o menos con cuidado, I package and wrap each item. Imagine a Tetris game, I shove things into any available space in the boxes, luego, I close them up, seal them with bright orange masking tape supplied by Benjamin Greenes Painting, y listo! Mission accomplished. Nunca falla! As soon as all the boxes are stored I find the things that missed the radar, and all through January things will pop up, so far I’ve found 2 items in the kitchen, 4 in the laundry and ornaments on the tree that is now outdoors. Pero aside from those things, Christmas is packed away and the rooms tidy and lonely. My daughter in law Monique, walked in on December 30th and was shocked and saddened by the “emptiness” of my living room. It is always like this, the whirlwind and brightness of Christmas, with twinkling lights and jingle bells,  is stored away for the winter. My living room and dining room seem  barren in winter, y este ano, I feel the cold more than ever, asi es, even in sunny San Diego. 

A couple of  nights ago  I was working on this post, pondering on what it will mean to have my first born son Jonathan, and his family, his beautiful wife and cinco de mis nietos, gone to another nation. Asi es, they’re scheduled to leave to South America, Bolivia for missionary work in a few short weeks, pero I sat there in denial, es que, it just wasn’t real. La Paz in Bolivia is 4,893 miles away. Just at that moment, he walked in with a very important item to return to me for safe keeping. His original Christmas stocking! I stared at it, remembering his first Christmas with us, we were well into parenting, 9 months of experience behind us at that point. I was excited about Christmas and anxious to  sew his stocking. Ouch! I felt that pang of separation. He tried to joke, “yea ma, you guys make sure to fill it each Christmas and get the goods to me” It wasn’t funny, but I’ve got to be strong verdad? 

I’m trying to find the right voice or tone as I write. One that sounds grateful for answered prayers. I mean, not only is he saved from his sin and in his right mind, but he’s preaching the Gospel, can I get an Amen?! Please. I had some mixed emotions when he went to pioneer and pastor a church in Bonita, in San Diego, after all he left the home church, pero ahora si, I’m beginning to get the full impact of Jeus command in Mark 16:15 “Go ye into all the world” Quizas I should have a voice of excitement and wonder, mi hijo, will be a missionary, this is a chance of a lifetime. What is God gonna do through their willingness to go? Y pues what a privilege to be a part of God’s family in Bolivia, people they will help win into God’s kingdom. Shouldn’t I be strutting “La Madre Culeca” dance? Asi es, proud to be his mama, telling his story to any one who will listen.  Pero, instead, as the days approach much too quickly, separation anxiety is barking at the door of my heart, wanting to be fed. Worry is throwing fiery darts at me, thinking of all the “what ifs.” Lately, everytime I see my son,  I want to run and cling to him and ask him, are you sure God called you to this? I hear the mocking voices saying “didn’t you pray for this with them? What are you afraid of? Y asi es, I did pray and I am grateful and pleased to see all that God is doing, most moms would understand me right now. 

How in the world am I gonna get through this?! I won’t cry, times like this is when I wish I could put on my Cold Blooded Englishman’s ways. My Benjamin stands in control,not rigidly trying to hold back tears, pero honestamente, his way of processing is pretty quiet and calm. My bestie is also well poised and calm, hijole! But me, there I go again, crying. I will get through this because, I know that I know, that the best place for my children is in the will of God. Aun asi,  the waves of emotion squeeze my heart and when nobodys looking, tears spill out, pero, I’m not crying, at least not at the moment.

There’s lots to do, I’m gonna help them and pray. I’m gonna be a needy mom and push myself into their lives and apapachar them, hopefully not clingy but a helpful hand for them. When I see them off I’ll keep praying. We’ll save our money and when it’s time, all in Gods time of course, we’ll go and see them. Ayudenme por favor and pray for the “Lil Greene’s” as we have dubbed them, as they get ready to be launched to La Paz, Bolivia in a few weeks.  Gracias, y que Dios los bendiga.