When you are an expat, being away from your family, friends, and church is always hard. No matter how hard you try, you can't help but miss out on family celebrations; you hear about exciting news after everyone else, and you feel a bit of jealousy when you see pictures of our loved ones actually having fun without us.
Now that is not to say that us expats are sitting in a corner, pining away and wiping our tears. We make it work. We look for the positives in our new situation. (Sometimes the positive is difficult to find, but we always do!) But most importantly, we make new friends and they make up our expat family. Our expat family is pretty big. The people who are a part of that family come from all over the world. Having this new family is pretty much what sustains us so far from 'home'.
This year our Thanksgiving was spent with 65 expats. There were people everywhere! There were four turkeys, one ham (yes, ham!), five huge bowls of stuffing, four massive bowls of potatoes, rolls, squash, green beans, cranberries....oh...so much! I am full again just thinking about it!! Our dinnertime stories shared were of the places we have lived, the vacations we have taken, and the tales of our real families so far away. It was a wonderful cool evening (around 80) spent dining in a beautiful yard. We are so thankful to have this family.
The day after Thanksgiving is typically when Sarah and I would head out at 3AM for black Friday shopping. There were several years where this adventure was shared with Jim's sister, Janet. We loved this day. This year as black Friday approached Sarah and I did lots of reminiscing and dreaming of the day we'll get to do it again! Then we were invited to another Thanksgiving dinner. We have now found a better way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.
The USS Whidbey was coming into port on the day after Thanksgiving. The school was contacted and asked if any ASD (American School of Dubai) parents would consider having around 20 marines and sailors over for dinner. A wonderful friend of mine, Stephanie Buck, didn't hesitate to offer up her house. She then contacted a few other friends, and dinner number two was created. We went through the usual planning as the expat dinner. Stephanie coordinated who would bring the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc., etc. My mind pictured another Thanksgiving dinner.
Around 2 PM a small bus pulled in front of Stephanine's house and a group of young men and women unloaded. Aside from looking very young (which is really just a reflection of my age), they just looked so happy. Here were these kids in their early 20's who were just thrilled to be, as one young man put it, "on solid ground for a while". They went out Stephanie's back door onto the beach. Some quickly picked up the volleyball, some jumped into the water, and others sat on her wonderful deck and just enjoyed the breeze. When the food was ready to be served we all shared in Grace. The Chaplains words made my heart full. When the guests stepped into the kitchen and saw the remarkable buffet, there were little shouts of "yes!! Smiles everywhere.
As the day continued we watched these dedicated young people enjoying their downtime. We talked about their families and their home towns. He learned they had been on the Whidbey for seven months already and still had another four to go. When the Dubai hour grew late enough, Stephanie informed everyone that the US was now waking up. Time to Skype! Each taking their turn, these young men and women had a chance to call home. What a valuable gift.
Towards the end of the evening the Chaplain presented Stephanie and her husband, Mike, with a plaque. They thanked the Bucks and everyone else who provided food. Then he asked the guests if they had anything to say. As I think about it my eyes still fill with tears. These young kids were so thankful to be welcomed into a home. They were so thankful for their Thanksgiving dinner, and they were thankful to be apart of our expat family, if only for a few hours.
Today they are gone. They are out somewhere in their "grey box" floating around. They are a presence in the waters. They are there for us. They are there to keep us safe. They are giving us something for which we are sincerely thankful. Sarah and I still do miss the chance to wake up at 3AM and go shopping, but the gift we are receiving from these dedicated men and women is something more valuable than anything we'd find in any store.
Now that is not to say that us expats are sitting in a corner, pining away and wiping our tears. We make it work. We look for the positives in our new situation. (Sometimes the positive is difficult to find, but we always do!) But most importantly, we make new friends and they make up our expat family. Our expat family is pretty big. The people who are a part of that family come from all over the world. Having this new family is pretty much what sustains us so far from 'home'.
This year our Thanksgiving was spent with 65 expats. There were people everywhere! There were four turkeys, one ham (yes, ham!), five huge bowls of stuffing, four massive bowls of potatoes, rolls, squash, green beans, cranberries....oh...so much! I am full again just thinking about it!! Our dinnertime stories shared were of the places we have lived, the vacations we have taken, and the tales of our real families so far away. It was a wonderful cool evening (around 80) spent dining in a beautiful yard. We are so thankful to have this family.
The day after Thanksgiving is typically when Sarah and I would head out at 3AM for black Friday shopping. There were several years where this adventure was shared with Jim's sister, Janet. We loved this day. This year as black Friday approached Sarah and I did lots of reminiscing and dreaming of the day we'll get to do it again! Then we were invited to another Thanksgiving dinner. We have now found a better way to spend the day after Thanksgiving.
The USS Whidbey was coming into port on the day after Thanksgiving. The school was contacted and asked if any ASD (American School of Dubai) parents would consider having around 20 marines and sailors over for dinner. A wonderful friend of mine, Stephanie Buck, didn't hesitate to offer up her house. She then contacted a few other friends, and dinner number two was created. We went through the usual planning as the expat dinner. Stephanie coordinated who would bring the turkey, stuffing, potatoes, etc., etc. My mind pictured another Thanksgiving dinner.
Around 2 PM a small bus pulled in front of Stephanine's house and a group of young men and women unloaded. Aside from looking very young (which is really just a reflection of my age), they just looked so happy. Here were these kids in their early 20's who were just thrilled to be, as one young man put it, "on solid ground for a while". They went out Stephanie's back door onto the beach. Some quickly picked up the volleyball, some jumped into the water, and others sat on her wonderful deck and just enjoyed the breeze. When the food was ready to be served we all shared in Grace. The Chaplains words made my heart full. When the guests stepped into the kitchen and saw the remarkable buffet, there were little shouts of "yes!! Smiles everywhere.
As the day continued we watched these dedicated young people enjoying their downtime. We talked about their families and their home towns. He learned they had been on the Whidbey for seven months already and still had another four to go. When the Dubai hour grew late enough, Stephanie informed everyone that the US was now waking up. Time to Skype! Each taking their turn, these young men and women had a chance to call home. What a valuable gift.
Towards the end of the evening the Chaplain presented Stephanie and her husband, Mike, with a plaque. They thanked the Bucks and everyone else who provided food. Then he asked the guests if they had anything to say. As I think about it my eyes still fill with tears. These young kids were so thankful to be welcomed into a home. They were so thankful for their Thanksgiving dinner, and they were thankful to be apart of our expat family, if only for a few hours.
Today they are gone. They are out somewhere in their "grey box" floating around. They are a presence in the waters. They are there for us. They are there to keep us safe. They are giving us something for which we are sincerely thankful. Sarah and I still do miss the chance to wake up at 3AM and go shopping, but the gift we are receiving from these dedicated men and women is something more valuable than anything we'd find in any store.
very well said...
ReplyDelete