IF I HAD ONE MORE CHRISTMAS
Today on the radio I heard a question. If there was a person with whom you could spend one more Christmas, who would it be? For me, and I’m sure for Michael as well, it would be with our son Rhys.
What would we do? How would it be?
Rhys would be a new Dad so of course we would go over all the family traditions we had so he could decide which of those he would continue with his own family. There would be Christmas pictures . . . lots of them, with kids, toys, dogs, parents and grandparents all jumbled together and laughing. There would be lots of laughing, because after all, Rhys was the group jokester, with a smile and a laugh that was so infectious you just couldn’t help yourself.
We would have help decorating the hundreds of sugar cookies, so Michael and I wouldn’t have to do it all ourselves. Although, I am quite sure the end result would be much the same; that is not artistic decorating but a slap of frosting and sprinkles so we could all get to the business of eating the cookies.
We would be celebrating first with a quiet Christmas Eve dinner and then the chaotic, noisy and exhausting Christmas Day dinner with all of the family.
The sheer excitement of young children with the run-up to Christmas is forever lost to us. The explanation of the real reason for the season is not likely to be a story we get to share each year. We get time with our granddaughter, for which we are very, very grateful. But I’m sure the experience would have been much more fun to share with Rhys and his daughter at the same time.
But I don’t have another earthly Christmas with my son. So I sit here at my desk, wondering why I still feel so sad even after a few years have gone by. I frankly feel a little jealous of those big family get-togethers. We had hoped for an expanding family, not a shrinking one. We have to carve out our little space and time with our only grandchild, thankful for the time we get between new families, but sad that visits take so much planning and scheduling.
The sadness turns to joy however, when I put the whole situation into its proper perspective. I want another Christmas with Rhys here on earth but how could that experience ever compare to what Rhys now experiences. It would almost be cruel to have him come back here. Michael and I miss Rhys terribly, especially at certain times of the year. But we are blessed with his daughter, blessed with the knowledge of Rhys’ new heavenly home, and truly blessed that we experienced the joy that was Rhys; not just on Christmas Day but for the 20 years he was here. We can’t have one more Christmas here with Rhys but we do anticipate future celebrations with him and our Heavenly Father.
She is also the mother of an American Hero. Her only child, Sgt. Rhys W. Klasno was killed in action on "Mother's Day," 13 May 2007 in Haditha, Iraq. Read her American Hero Tribute Blog and check out her Roofing Solutions Wonderkid Blog
- HAPPY 30TH BIRTHDAY RHYS - July 16, 2016
- Running the Race - August 4, 2014
- Testing the limits of my endurance - July 4, 2014
