A Christmas Song for Military Wives: The Best Gift of All

I wrote this blog post the first Christmas after my husband was home from his last deployment (Christmas 2012). The prior four Christmases has been negatively impacted by his deployments. Christmas 2008 he was gone – had been gone for months. Christmas 2009 he was home and it was glorious. It was our first Christmas as a married couple AND we found out we were pregnant with our son just a few days before Christmas. However, Christmas 2010 was incredibly challenging as he was due to deploy. We celebrated early, and he ended up leaving on December 29th. The most memorable part of Christmas Day was packing his bags for his deployment. When it came to Christmas 2011, I was SO hopeful that, since his departure had fallen SO close to Christmas on the deployment end, that he would redeploy to the US in time for Christmas. I held my breath for weeks – hoping, praying, and hoping some more.

My heart broke when the day came and went and he still wasn’t home. He didn’t make it home until December 31st.

Throughout the course of those few years, I wrote a Christmas song for military wives. I actually wrote the lyrics and tune (in my head) during Christmas 2009, that wonderful Christmas that he was home. Christmas 2010, just after he had left, I was able to travel to my family’s house, where my brother (a Christian recording artist) was able to assist me in recording it. The song ended up being prophetic, as the second stanza says, “Next year we aren’t guaranteed Christmas day…you could be home or be so far away…I’ll kiss you or miss you…”

Whether you are a military wife whose spouse is home this year or deployed, I hope that this song encourages you. I think you will find that it adequately captures the range of emotions that military wives, girlfriends, and fiancees feel surrounding Christmas.

Below is some of the blessings I counted during Christmas of 2012, when he was finally home FOR GOOD! What a gift!!

At the end of this post, you will find the lyrics and music video for the Christmas song I have written.

Written Christmas 2012:

The best gift of all this Christmas is…

Waking up every morning to this face:

And this face:

Having you to share lattes with:

Getting kisses like this…

instead of just dreaming about them and waking up right before we get to the “good part”:

Giving you your gifts in person, instead of through the mail:

Christmas shopping with you…as a family:

Having you home for important milestones:

Having your tender hands to hold:

Having your strong shoulders here to help me bear the responsibility of parenting:

The responsibility of teaching:

The responsibility of keeping Ezra safe:

Not having to deal with taking Ezra to Walmart by myself:

Having fun with you:

And knowing that, sexy as it might be…

this is the last Christmas we will ever see pictures of you wearing this uniform:

Taking you to Christmas in the Park, twice:

Being a family…going to church as a family.

And not having you be conspicuously absent from family pictures:

The Best Gift of All: A Christmas Song for Military Wives

Last year the war took you so far away

You were serving your country on Christmas day

I stayed behind and sent Christmas to you

Apart once again, we tried to make do…

But you were close to my heart, 

Near in my thoughts,

Our love grows stronger, no matter what! 

Each year that passes, I simply recall

Having you in my life is the best gift of all!

This year you’re home, and I’m happy to say

That we’ll be together on Christmas Day

I’m wrapped in your arms, and our gifts we can share

Time spent with you is a treasure most rare!

And you are close to my heart

Near in my thoughts

Our love grows stronger, no matter what

Each year that passes, I simply recall

Having you in my life is the best gift of all!

Next year we aren’t guaranteed Christmas Day

You could be home – or be so far away…

We’ll cuddle and laugh – or just try to make do

I’ll kiss you, or miss you,

But this much is true:

You’ll be close to my heart 

Near in my thoughts,

Our love grows stronger, no matter what! 

Each year that passes, I simply recall

Having you in my life is the best gift of all!

Related Posts:

What I Don’t Take For Granted This Christmas

The Wives Who Wait: A Christmas Poem for Military Wives

A Hero’s Wife: A Prayer for Christian Military Wives

Choosing Joy When the Christmas Spirit is Broken