It was the afternoon of December 21, 2020.  I drove to Springfield, Missouri to pick up our son, Garon, from the airport.  He was coming home for Christmas!  Even better, our daughter, Briahna, and her entire family of seven were driving up that day from their home in Texas so we could all be together for the holidays.  This mom was super happy anticipating a wonderful family reunion for Christmas. A full, busy, holiday home!  We had plans!

When I pulled up to the curb, there was Garon with his luggage.  I gave him a hug, and he hugged me back, but it wasn’t one of his characteristically long, big, warm, cozy, hugs.  We loaded his bag.  He sat in the front passenger seat, and I was in the driver’s seat.  When we pulled out, he said,  “Mom, I’m not feeling that well.”  Hmm.  Before we left Springfield, we stopped at the new Raising Cane’s for a quick chicken strip, then headed home.  We hadn’t been on South 65 for very long when Garon said, “I’m really not feeling well.  I think I should be tested for Covid just to be safe.”  We made it all the way home to Branson.  Garon had been making some calls and found out that the only testing center that could give rapid results was back in Springfield, so he turned right around and headed back up to get there before closing time.

Two hours later, he called with the results.

Cue doomsday music.

Positive.

How quickly plans change!  We immediately called Briahna and told her the situation.  They decided to go to her husband, Merrill’s, parents to stay there.  At the time they only lived a few blocks away from us, but it was definitely one of those “so close and yet so far” situations.  We had to quarantine.  Garon settled in his old bedroom.  And he was feeling pretty awful.  Because I had been exposed (hug & car time) I had to keep my distance from Tom and anyone else we had Christmas plans with, including Brydon and Mina.  I inflated an airbed to sleep on and I set up camp downstairs in my music studio.  Tom was in the master bedroom.  Our family gathering was not a gathering at all.  Just the opposite.  We couldn’t even be in the same room! This was weird, and honestly, very sad and disappointing.  Tom and I kept our distance, and if we ever had to be in the same room, we waved from 10 feet away.  I made meals and put them outside of Garon’s bedroom door.  We played Yahtzee together on FaceTime.  Garon was miserable with that “to the bone” ache, sore throat, cough, and all things Covid.  Tom and I watched for our own symptoms.  No one else came to the house for days.

We postponed our Christmas morning plans until we could all safely be together.  We decided to have our Christmas gathering on New Years Eve day.  It would all be fine.  But early on Christmas morning, I was feeling very lonely, all by myself downstairs, laying on the inflatable bed that had decided to deflate during the night. I was cold and on the floor.  I couldn’t sleep. I’d never had a Christmas Day like this.  Alone and nothing I could do about it.  It was too quiet.  I was trying to find the bright side of the situation.  There is always a bright side, right?  Then I got an idea for a song.  I realized that all the Christmas traditions that I had grown to rely on to have “Christmas” had all been stripped away.  It made me really think about what Christmas meant to me on a deeper level, and I asked myself the question, “Without all of the Christmas trappings, is there enough Christmas inside of me?  Is there enough Christ inside of me?”

Here are the lyrics to the song I wrote that Covid Christmas morning:

 

Is There Enough Christmas

by Andrea C. Brett

 

Pre-verse –
I never thought we’d be apart this Christmas time
While I’m here all alone

So many questions run through my mind

Verse 1 –
Without the family
Without all the noise
Without the children opening their toys
Without the carols sung ’round the tree
Is there enough Christmas inside of me

Verse 2 –
Without the puzzles
Without all the games
Without Christmas snowfall, with Christmas rain
Without plaid pajamas on Christmas eve
Is there enough Christmas inside of me

Chorus –
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Inside of me

Verse 3 –
Without all the presents
Without Santa Claus
Without Christmas breakfast, without the applause
Without all the comforts that I seem to seek
Is there enough Christmas inside of me

Chorus –
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Inside of me

Bridge –
When it’s taken all away
And I’m left here on my own
Can I still feel the joy of Christmas day
When I’m just here with Jesus alone

Verse 4 –
Can He fill my stocking
Can He fill this hole
Can He fill my empty
Can He fill my soul

They say He’s the reason

For my season of need
Is there enough Jesus
Inside of me

Chorus:
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Inside of me

Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Christmas
Is there enough Jesus

Inside of me

 

These are questions I’m still pondering and striving to answer with a resounding, “YES!”

 

So, you may want to know “the rest of the story.”  Garon got a little better each day, and Tom and I did not come down with Covid.  But as we were making plans with all the family to celebrate Christmas on New Year’s Eve, Briahna called to tell us that Merrill’s father had just tested positive for Covid.  Oh, the irony!  The place they had gone to for safety was not safe at all!  Her entire family had been exposed, and they were loading up the van to head back to Texas!  On their way out of town, they came to our house to say goodbye.  They parked in our driveway.  They got out of the van and we all said our “I love yous” while Tom and I kept our distance on the porch. Everyone waved at Garon through his bedroom window.  It was quite a pathetic scene!  Their little daughter, JoJo, sobbed.  All she wanted to do was go in Bumpa and Mammy’s house.  As they drove away, I’m not going lie, I cried, too.

At the end of January, after Covid had gone through their family, Tom and I took all their gifts to Texas.  We all wore plaid pajamas and had a very late Christmas.

Our Covid Christmas taught me a valuable lesson.  Very often, despite all our best plans and intentions, things don’t turn out how we want them to.  That’s when we must dig deep.  That’s when the Jesus inside of us must be enough.  That’s what Christmas is really all about – the Jesus inside of us.

As we celebrate Christmas 2022, our family wishes you all the peace, comfort and joy that comes from the “inside” Jesus.  He is, after all, the true reason we have Christmas at all!

Thank you for all of your love and support for so many years!

 

Christmas blessings!

The Brett Family