I so vividly remember those last few weeks before Christmas as an undergrad. Wrapping up the semester with finals, so anxious for my parents to come pick me up... so busy studying that laundry piled up into massive heaps that I would transfer from my bed to the floor to sleep at night. I packed it all to go home. Surely my mother would be thrilled to help me! Going home was an escape to a restful, indulgent space. My parents made my favorite meals, let me sleep in extra late, and never asked me to do any chores.
Mary's journey with Joesph to his home town of Bethlehem was nothing like my homecoming. Traveling for days, upon a hilly path, while 9 months pregnant, only to be told there were no rooms. Through it all, Mary delivered the greatest miracle - the birth of our Lord and Savior.
Today, while I still look forward to visiting my parents over Christmas break, homecoming is a completely different experience. It happens every day after work, when I come home to a cute little rental on the Old West Side (pictured above), where I am keeping a home with my new husband. In our home, I try to stay on top of the laundry, meals, and housecleaning. And I finally understand that my mother wasn't thrilled to do my laundry, but she was thrilled I still needed her help.
Mary's journey reminds us that homecoming isn't always easy, and while it can be riddled with challenges it is also full of reward. This year, my husband and I will celebrate our first Christmas together as a married couple. There will be family parties and plenty of cheer, but there will also be arguments about sharing time between families and scheduling our time away from work. We will need to step up and help our families with cooking, cleaning, and other responsibilities. And we will want to.
Questions for Reflection:
What do you look most forward to coming home to over Christmas break?
How has your idea of 'home' changed over time?
-Brittany Tobias is the Director of Communications at St. Mary Student Parish
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