hyatti- a different christmas

As Christmas draws near we are experiencing the season in a whole new way. In some ways, it doesn't feel like Christmas at all. No Christmas music in the stores, no cold weather, no lights on the houses, no candy canes, santa clause or snowmen.  The girls school will run like normal on Christmas day and life will carry on without a pause to celebrate.  I love the holiday atmosphere and will so miss being with family and partaking in all the holiday traditions.
However, in some ways it feels more like Christmas. Not too far from here is where, over 2,000 years ago, a little baby lay in a manger. Thankfully in our city we have most of the amenities we have grown to love and need, but a quick drive in any direction will lead to a village where the peoples lives look very much like Mary and Joseph's lives did. Being here, I see the nativity story in a whole new light. I can imagine them trecking across the land, on a donkey, in the heat. I can see the manger in my mind, and the whole scenario is easier to imagine.
So this Christmas, yes, I will miss the snow, decor and all the things we love about Christmas, but I will be thankful for getting to experience this season in a new way.  I will be thankful for the camels and heat and a big ole desert, and be reminded of why we celebrate the season.

p.s. Don't feel too bad about the no-christmas-thing. We are going to Dubai this weekend where we will sip starbucks in a mall with a huge Christmas tree, we will ski (at an indoor ski mountain) and get a fabulous "winter" holiday. :)