Katie, Colton, Conner & Jeff

Katie, Colton, Conner & Jeff
My soul mate, Jeff, and Katie, Colton and Conner, the three gifts from God that call me "Mom"

Sunday, December 24, 2017

The Missing Piece of Christmas

Well, ready or not . . . Christmas Eve has arrived.  The stocking have been hung; presents have been bought; holiday greetings have been mailed; and the jolly, old, elf is readying himself for a midnight ride.  As I get older, I am amazed at how quickly the season now rolls around each year.  The days quickly turn into weeks, and before we know it, another holiday season is upon us.

It seems that some years are more bittersweet, and this year has been one of those years.  So many of my good friends, my "framily," have lost loved ones.  I, too, lost my stepbrother back in May, and it is going to be strange not having him with us this year.  Just in recent days, friends have buried loved ones.  Some lost loved ones after long illnesses, and some lost precious ones suddenly.  This Christmas will have a void that truly never goes away.  There is a missing piece of Christmas; an empty seat at the table; a silenced voice in the laughter; a longed-for hug that will never again be experienced.



My missing piece of Christmas has been a result of the loss of my mother in 2006.  This is an emptiness that time doesn't fully heal.  The loss of my dad in 1984 hit me hard, but nothing like the loss of my mother, my best friend.  Additional pieces of Christmas are also missing with the loss of Jeff's parents, my brother, dear friends and other family members.  I truly do not know how people survive these losses without a faith.  Faith is what pulls us through the sadness, and somehow, we smile through the tears.



So, as we prepare to enjoy the festivities of the season, it is okay to acknowledge that there is a missing piece of Christmas.  It is natural to have feelings stirred by sweet memories or the lyrics to a holiday tune.  Loss is a part of this life, but that loss is only temporary.  Again, as I get older, I am so looking forward to those reunions with my loved ones that have already journeyed into eternity.

I dedicate the words of this poem to my sweet mother . . . and to anyone else that has a missing piece of Christmas this year.



"The Missing Piece of Christmas"
by Darlene Sweet (2017)

The years have continued to pass;
No, time has not stood still;
The holly hangs on the mantle;
And Santa still merits a thrill.

Visions of sugar plums still dance
In the dreams of little girls and boys;
Time well spent with family;
The magical season is still filled with joys.

Binges of watching holiday classics;
Finding something yummy to bake.
Treasures found in ambrosia, peanut butter fudge,
And of course, your scrumptious jam cake. 

Yet, my heart aches for something
Someone that left long ago.
That void is never really filled,
And the emptiness continues so.

Something has gone away,
And it can never come back again.
Sadly, that something is you,
My precious mother, my friend.

You are the missing piece of Christmas,
And it will sadly never be the same.
There’s just an ache here, without you.
In my heart, there is such a pain. 

I see you in the memories
of ornaments and in photos of days past.
I hear you in my children’s laughter,
Yes, those memories do last.

The scent of you still lingers
In a bottle of your perfume.
Sometimes I spray it on me,
Making it seem that you are in the room. 

I feel you in my heart,
Although I know that you’re not here;
But you left a piece of your heart with me,
Christmas time makes that so very clear.

Flowers left on a grave stone
Don’t seem adequate enough
To cover the love that was shared by us,
To show Christmas is so much more than stuff.

So, packages will be opened,
We’ll be filled with Christmas cheer.
But the missing piece of Christmas
Returns year after year. 

What I wouldn’t give to have you,
Just once more here with me.
To have just one more holiday
But that will never be.

Yet, I know that one day soon,
The missing piece will be found,
And we will have eternity together,
While listening to angel sounds.

There will be no more sadness,
There will be no more pain,
We will walk hand in hand together,
Down that golden lane.







Merry Christmas!  May God hold you in His hand and give you peace and comfort!

Darlene