Beginnings and Endings

Last January marked the beginning of a year full of lasts. My last semester. My last first day of class. My last day all-hall meeting. My last chapel. The last time I see some friends before Italy. The last time to Chicago before Italy.

And most recently: My last Christmas home.

Christmas is the most traditional thing my family does. Noche Buena at Lelo & Lelas. Christmas morning at home. Christmas breakfast at Tio & Tia’s. Christmas afternoon back at Los Lelos. Nothing changed. If anything went a little off schedule, someone had a cow.

And as much as things stay the same, really, they change.

So it was and it wasn’t my last Christmas home, all depending on your definition of “home.”

This year my dad’s side of the family and us went to California to be with my new niece, Rosi. She’s too young to travel, so we all went to see her.

This year, everything was different, even though we tried to keep some things the same, like my mom making frijoles, Papa made lechon, and taking turns opening gifts in the morning.

As so, since graduation, my “see you later” to my friends may just be fulfilled in heaven, because we have no idea when the next time we’ll see each other again is.

And this Christmas, well, I leave to Italy in June and I wont be back for nine months. That means I miss Christmas. And New Years.

As I said goodbye to 2008 just minutes ago, it hits harder and harder that 2009 is the year of my Big Move. In 6 months I’ll be heading to Turin, a of a million people. To tell them about Jesus. And I’ll miss Christmas, but I won’t be without the reminder of the resurrection. And I’ll miss New Year’s, but I will celebrate it knowing we are closer and closer to Christ’s return (if He doesn’t come back before then). And that’s the plan. Because showing other people the Way to eternity, the Way to Jesus, is more important than anything else.