Sharing a Memorable Christmas

My most memorable and coldest Christmas was spent on guard duty as a young soldier in Thule, Greenland. I was only 400 miles from the North Pole but I never did get to see Santa’s sleigh or any Female Elves for that matter.

Standing in the cold, lonely shack staring at the bleak tundra for hours on end makes your mind do strange things. It kept wandering back to that little house back home in Pennsylvania where Mom was making her usual Christmas dinner. That special Christmas Day smell seemed to linger at my nose. For the first time ever I was not there and I really missed my family.

An arctic fox runs by and breaks my thoughts. Cute little devils, those foxes, friendly and looking for a Holiday handout.

I am back home again and my Grandma stops over like she always does (that’s when Grandmas lived next door). She always brought her special German homemade bread right out of the oven. The fun was stealing a hot bun before dinner and smothering it in butter.

The noise of the relief trucks wheels making that cold crunching sound on minus 30 degree snow brings me back to reality. The coffee is old, dark and thick but tastes great as I take a quick break in the truck cab and share the special bond that young soldiers away from home seem to have.

As the taillights disappear into the frigid distance I gather my thoughts and stare at the stars and God’s Northern lights in the crystal clear sky. Total and absolute silence remains. I think again of my family but realize that even though I am not home this Christmas is special. I have learned a lot about myself and that family, close friends and warm experiences are what life is all about.

My replacement arrives and I stare into youthful eyes almost totally covered by a furry parka. Merry Christmas I say…Merry Christmas he responds….

*A special note…….I wrote this story many years ago, but I must say,  I still get a little misty as I reminisce about those days when I was alone and so far away from home. But it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This Christmas a young soldier will be standing guard and staring over a vast desert, not bleak cold tundra. This Christmas a young soldier will be brought  old dark coffee and share a special bond with a fellow soldier. This Christmas a young soldier will shed a private youthful tear as thoughts about his Mom and family back home permeate his soul.  This Christmas a young soldier will wish a fellow soldier Merry Christmas. This Christmas a young soldier will learn that family, close friends and warm experiences is what life is all about. Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers

My most memorable and coldest Christmas was spent on guard duty as a young soldier in Thule, Greenland. I was only 400 miles from the North Pole but I never did get to see Santa’s sleigh or any Female Elves for that matter.

Standing in the cold, lonely shack staring at the bleak tundra for hours on end makes your mind do strange things. It kept wandering back to that little house back home in Pennsylvania where Mom was making her usual Christmas dinner. That special Christmas Day smell seemed to linger at my nose. For the first time ever I was not there and I really missed my family.

An arctic fox runs by and breaks my thoughts. Cute little devils, those foxes, friendly and looking for a Holiday handout.

I am back home again and my Grandma stops over like she always does (that’s when Grandmas lived next door). She always brought her special German homemade bread right out of the oven. The fun was stealing a hot bun before dinner and smothering it in butter.

The noise of the relief trucks wheels making that cold crunching sound on minus 30 degree snow brings me back to reality. The coffee is old, dark and thick but tastes great as I take a quick break in the truck cab and share the special bond that young soldiers away from home seem to have.

As the taillights disappear into the frigid distance I gather my thoughts and stare at the stars and God’s Northern lights in the crystal clear sky. Total and absolute silence remains. I think again of my family but realize that even though I am not home this Christmas is special. I have learned a lot about myself and that family, close friends and warm experiences are what life is all about.

My replacement arrives and I stare into youthful eyes almost totally covered by a furry parka. Merry Christmas I say…Merry Christmas he responds….

*A special note…….I wrote this story many years ago, but I must say,  I still get a little misty as I reminisce about those days when I was alone and so far away from home. But it seems that the more things change, the more they stay the same. This Christmas a young soldier will be standing guard and staring over a vast desert, not bleak cold tundra. This Christmas a young soldier will be brought  old dark coffee and share a special bond with a fellow soldier. This Christmas a young soldier will shed a private youthful tear as thoughts about his Mom and family back home permeate his soul.  This Christmas a young soldier will wish a fellow soldier Merry Christmas. This Christmas a young soldier will learn that family, close friends and warm experiences is what life is all about. Please remember them in your thoughts and prayers