Mark Stoller is a nine-year resident of Colorado.†He and his wife, Andra, both U.S. Air Force veterans, moved to Falcon in 2007 and are now raising their three teenage daughters in Latigo.†They enjoy their home on the prairie with plenty of room for their six adopted dogs, bagpipes & Celtic Festivals and beekeeping. Mark enjoys the privilege of his wife and daughters being his muse for topics, people to meet and places to investigate.
Once more, itís time for the holiday season and all the trimmings. With the recent worldwide violence and ongoing wars, I think, ìPeace on Earth, Goodwill Toward Man,î will need to wait until next year ó again.I really do enjoy this time of year. We cook family recipes, listen to Christmas songs on Pandora, watch classic Bing Crosby movies and decorate the house. For all the joys, the holidays also brings out the cynic in me. If youíre interested, follow along as I ramble and ruminate on the ìmost wonderful time of the year.îThe retail market has changed the feel of Thanksgiving as Black Friday creeps up earlier to Thanksgiving Day. In our society, folks sit down to a large feast – ìthankfulî for all they possess. However, as the clock strikes 10 p.m., they are apt to throat punch someone at Walmart to buy that one thing for a great price. The midnight madness is over-rated. These days, we shop mostly online, in our pajamas while drinking coffee.Americans are back to wishing each other a ìMerry Christmasî instead of the politically correct ìHappy Holiday.î As a Christian, it warms my heart that we have chosen to break from the social experiment.My office mate refers to Christmas as the ìobligatory season of giving.î He said, ìWe have 364 other days to buy a thoughtful gift for our family and friends, yet we wait until Christmas to be obliged to exchange something.î His incredibly salient point does not apply to my mom. She gifts often and all year long!While the wise men may have brought gifts to Jesus, I donít think inundating each other with a ton of stuff was part of the original gesture. I am reminded of a Harry Potter character, Dudley, who berates his parents for only giving him 35 gifts unlike the 37 from last year. Andra and I aim to provide our kids gifts based on a quote we found, ìGive them something they want, something they need, something to wear and something to read.îChristmas is a time when we ask for things we normally wouldnít buy for ourselves. Or maybe you buy an item you know someone could really use. There is great satisfaction to see the look of surprise and appreciation on a loved oneís face, especially when they open a thoughtful gift.During my military travels through Turkey, Iraq, Bosnia and Korea, I have seen and visited people who possess very little. They are happy and care for the possessions they own. We could all benefit from observing their humble existence.While deployed, on multiple combat tours, I have repeatedly missed every significant holiday and family celebration possible.The military does attempt some festive decorations in the chow hall for those deployed over the holidays. However, every deployed military member finds a way to compartmentalize their feelings when deployed away from home. One Christmas in Iraq, my Navy chief saw the look on my face. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ìSir, I know youíre missing home right now, and itís OK. Take a moment to reflect. But realize, today is just another day, and we have a mission to accomplish.î Ten minutes later we armored up, drove through the base gates and headed in to Baghdad to take care of business.The concept of ìjust another dayî has had an unexplained, but lasting effect on me. Every day is significant and not just those recognized by Hallmark, religion or deemed as federally observed.My second combat tour in Iraq was a beast and poignantly demonstrated the fragility of life. For me, the true gifts of each holiday season are my presence and memories made sharing time with loved ones.
