That present was a day with Jo. The week before Christmas we got to meet Jo at a sledding party for her school. That was the first time we had seen her in weeks. She came running down that hill at full speed, running right in front of a slew of sledders, dodging them like an accidental frogger. She ran straight to the kids and into their arms. She then made her way into Tra’s arms and then eventually me. We spent about an hour with her that day, sledding, swinging, playing, talking and just gobbling up every moment in that 5 degree weather.

Three days later she got to come over to our house for the afternoon. When I stopped in to pick her up, she was laying on the couch watching Dora under a blankie. As soon as I walked in, she popped up and started putting her clothes on, ready to roll with her mini doggie. She was quieter than normal, seemingly unsure of what was going on, but ready to go. As I brought her out to the van full of her family, she started perking up and smiling. She had a moment of sickness near lunch time, laying her head on the counter, not eating, not smiling, not talking, just sitting, and we were concerned that perhaps she didn’t want to be home. But a quick trip to the bathroom, and it was the same old Jo, just as if she had never left. Running around, dressing up, chasing, being chased, hiding, scaring, playing with dolls, dogs, rabbits, dad and all the things she always did. Unfortunately the afternoon was far too short, and as hard as we tried we knew of no way to extend the evening visit. Near the end we settled down and let her open her Christmas presents from us watching the overwhelming joy in her eyes, and her painfully slow present opening process.

A couple days later, on Christmas day, Mr. And Mrs. Claus and their kids stopped by her house on their way to church, and dropped her stocking off. Again, she was sitting on the couch watching a show, and again she seemed  a little surprised to see us there. We were out of context. But the longer we stayed the better she got. So three visits in a week, now that is a Christmas present!

They say “out of sight, out of mind”, but I don’t believe it for a minute. Jo has been out of sight for weeks and weeks, yet we think about her every day. Now I can’t say whether seeing her helps or hurts the longing, but I do know that every chance we get to see her, we will see her. And as much as my heart leaps when I see her smile, it sinks even further when we leave, almost to the point of sickness. It is a helpless feeling.

So why you ask, do I not want the same Christmas present next year? Well next year I want Jo home with us for Christmas and I am believing that is in the Lord’s plan, and I will continue to believe. Is it hope, faith, wishful thinking, ignorance? I don’t know, but I will have it, whatever it is I have it. So when she is home next Christmas, then she cannot be my favorite Christmas present. So this year pray with us that my 2010 blog on my favorite Christmas present will be socks!