When I lived on a military base, one of the first things that struck me was the front door and front yard decorating. Being a city gal for most of my life, I was used to your typical wreaths and Christmas tree lights. But, the larger-than-life inflatable Santa and snowmen were quite a sight for my city eyes to behold.
I'd stroll my baby around the neighborhood, always amazed when I'd spot some new decoration that I hadn't noticed on my previous lap.
Many houses and trees were outlined with colorful lights. Some front doors were "wrapped" as presents. Reindeer stood prominently on several front lawns, sometimes even joined by a sled full of presents. Snowflakes and stars hung from lots of windows. There was even an occasional Christmas flag hanging next to the American flag which mostly every house had mounted. Most of these decorations were put up while I was still digesting my Thanksgiving feast!
At first, I thought it was all a bit much. It kind of looked like a Christmas themed Las Vegas. But, then as December progressed, the warmth behind it grew on me. My good friend (whose husband is a Marine Lt. Colonel) explained to me once that many military families put a lot of emphasis on the holidays because the families endure so much separation during the year. Some families aren't even together during the holidays because of deployment schedules.
I know a little something about that.
Furthermore, we were in the suburbs so this kind of thing wasn't too out of the ordinary. So, instead of getting giggly over blinking North Pole signs, I became appreciative of the message.
Happy Holidays!
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