Christmas time?

So, as I am sure many of you can relate, it is really hard to believe it is almost Christmas time. This time of year always seems to creep up, but for me, this year it has happened in a very different way. First of all, this is the first time that I have been in a tropical place during the winter months. The weather here is beautiful…in the upper 70s every day. Therefore, it is weird to hear that we got snow at home or see pictures of all of you in sweaters, jackets and all bundled up for the winter .

However, what is also missing is the hustle and bustle of the holiday season at home, especially the lack of commercialism here. There are no Christmas trees, no Christmas decorations, no advertisements or sales, no talk about Santa Clause coming and no discussion about what gifts people are getting for others. I asked what Christmas is like in Haiti and everyone says, it is mostly about going to church and then eating a nice meal with your family, maybe with some extra items they can’t usually afford. I actually find this environment so refreshing.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Christmas time at home, but I don’t love the added pressure of all the things that are supposed to be done at Christmas time from writing Christmas cards, to buying people gifts, to baking Christmas cookies, etc. I dislike how far away from the true meaning of Christmas this time of year has become in the states.

I have been finishing up a needs assessment conducted in the rural areas of the Leogane commune where households were asked what the biggest needs in their communities for women and children were. For women, the top responses were work, food, a house, education/literacy, hospital/health center and toilets. For children, it was school, food, health, hospital/health center, and clothes/shoes. For the children, a few people did mention the need for play, toys and camps, but only a handful of households identified these things as need. It reminds me how much the basic needs of people here are not met. They don’t have the luxury of thinking of the things they want because there are so many things that they need.

As we approach this holiday season, please take the time to remember the true meaning of this holiday season and think about how lucky we are in so many ways – myself included. I am so grateful for the many special people in my life, both in the states and in Haiti. I am so grateful to have been brought up in a home where more than just my needs were met, where I had the luxury of achieving an amazing education, where I grew up thinking that I could be anything I wanted to be and had the opportunities to achieve them. All of these things lead me to be able to live in Haiti. I am also so lucky to be able to come home for the holidays to spend time with the many friends and family members who have provided for me and supported me in all of my endeavors. Thank you all for being so wonderful!