Wish 1: Comfort and Joy
Twenty five years ago, our family was apart at Christmas for the first time. I was in Europe, and my two brothers were in North America. So the siblings we left behind sang Christmas songs into cassette tapes and sent them to us.
It was in one of those tapes that I heard my father talk from the heart. I have never heard him so emotional before. No doubt, celebrating Christmas apart for the first time since my parents started their family had a strong impact on him.
Now, it’s my turn. My 20 year old son is somewhere in Africa doing something he loves. We occasionally get emails and a short phone call. He is all right. But he is so far away, and anything we send him will take weeks to get there. This is the first time that my family will be celebrating Christmas apart.
We are worried for him. And based on the letters he sent us earlier, he is homesick. At the same time, he is excited about his advocacy, and we are very proud of him.
What did my parents advise me when I lived so far away? In a short phrase: “When you’re homesick, pray.” That has stuck with me for a quarter of a century. It was tough at first, but it works. I’ve told my son the same thing. And I pray it works for him too.
What any parent feels when their children go out on their own is worry about their wellbeing. What the young adult feels is homesickness. The common remedy is communication and prayer.
Today, I wish for both of us – for my son and for myself. I want to be comforted with the thought that he is doing fine and there is nothing to worry about. And I want him to experience the joy of following his passion, and knowing what he wants to do with his life.
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