Merry Christmas from El Salvador! Though I didn’t get to spend Christmas physically with my family this year, I still consider myself the luckiest to have the most loving, encouraging, and supportive family in my life who were able to FaceTime me in for most of the festivities.
A few weeks ago, I asked my siblings, aka my three favorite people in the world and my built-in best friends, to write a post for me as my second guest post on the Race. I asked them to simply write whatever they wanted from the perspective of a sibling of a World Racer. Needless to say, I cried a whole lot after reading the following words.
So much of who I am today has been shaped by my three siblings. It feels odd to have to introduce my siblings, because as the youngest in my family, most people know me by association through them. But, in case you’re a friend outside of Goshen, Kentucky, I have two sisters, Kassidy and Cassidy, and a brother, Zach.
So, without further ado, here’s the Race and this Christmas season from my sibling’s perspective:
Kass:
That’s what it’s all about, isn’t it? That’s what it’s always been about. Gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts, gifts! You wanna know what happens to your gifts? They all come to me. In your garbage. You see what I’m saying? In your GARBAGE. I could hang myself with all the bad Christmas neckties I found at the dump!
This is one of the many iconic lines from the Grinch that my siblings and I have quoted for years. A movie that for whatever odd reason, Zach, Mallory, and I have idolized since we were very young. No matter the time of year you can find us quoting the brilliant lines of Jim Carey’s best role, even when we were too young to understand all the jokes. It was shocking for us to realize that other families didn’t share the same obsession with this movie as we did (Oh the WHO-manity). But for the Price household, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.
Our childhood Christmas memories can easily be summed up with three things: the Grinch, Peanut Butter M&M Rice Krispie treats, and Springsteen’s rendition of “Santa Clause Is Coming to Town.” (Ask Mal to sing this for you, it’s like Bruce himself is in the room with you). In recent years, many things about our lives have changed, but these three things remain the same. Our parents have been living in Memphis for about five years; Zach is married and recently bought and moved into his first house with his wife; I just completed my first semester of law school at UK; and Mal is traveling from country to country each month, circling the globe. As I write this on Christmas morning a couple hours into my drive with my parents from Louisville back to Memphis, I am reminded that Christmas is not at all what it used to be.
As we get older, circumstances change, yet Christmas still centers around family. When our family moved to Memphis a few years ago, Mallory and I can both admit that we were quite resentful. So much change came as both of us were transitioning into adulthood and trying to figure out who we wanted to be. When this happened, Christmas became driving 6 hours to Louisville, bouncing from house to house visiting family and friends for several days, and then driving 6 hours back to Memphis completely worn out. I’ll be the first to tell you that of the Price children, I tend to be the one with the least amount of Christmas *cheer.* Mal has enough Christmas spirit for the both of us, and what I’ve always lacked, she makes up for. (One man’s toxic sludge is another man’s potpourri–I don’t know, it’s some kind of soup). Each year that we’ve made the trek from Memphis to Louisville for Christmas I’ve grown a little more weary of the journey and the days spent as a houseguest. My much more jubilant sister has always been here to put things in perspective and remind me that Christmas is about time spent with family, and that’s why we put ourselves through the madness each year.
This year Christmas was particularly difficult as we were missing the physical presence of an essential member of the family. This year I struggled to even bring myself to want to celebrate Christmas. With all the stress of the last few months of my life, I was truly lacking in Christmas spirit more than ever. Without Mal here I was reluctant to even travel to Louisville for Christmas to see my family, as I didn’t have my best friend to make sarcastic comments to throughout our Christmas festivities. Though the rest of my family was present, the idea of Christmas without Mal by my side seemed lonely.
Growing up, Mal and I have constantly resented the fact that our family refers to the both of us as“the girls.” It was always “how are the girls?” “Where are the girls?” “What would the girls like?” Particularly in recent years, we’ve both tried to set ourselves apart and define our individuality rather than be coupled together as the girls. We’ve insisted that our differences be recognized and our identities be separated once and for all. But today as we spend Christmas thousands of miles from one another, I surrender my fight to separate myself from the girls. Not because I don’t desire my own individuality, but because I’m thrilled to be in the company of the incredible person that my sister is. This year without Mal sitting by my side at all our family christmases, I realized how much I miss the girls. (MAX. Help me! I’m FEELING). I’m missing the dynamic part of our duo, and though I know it’s far more difficult being in foreign countries far from any family, I’m realizing how hard it is to be away from my sister for so long. I miss her immensely. But as Mallory travels and follows the Lord’s calling for her life, I’m incredibly proud and I so admire the strong, passionate woman my sister has become. I learn from her constantly, and though I am older by just less than 2 years (which I never let her forget), I truly aspire to be the kind of compassionate person that Mallory is. Seeing glimpses of everything Mal’s doing has been eye opening and awe inspiring, and I’m amazed everyday at her love for people.
Yesterday and today as I opened gifts, watched others open gifts, and FaceTimed Mal whilst narrating the gift opening for her, I appreciated the fact that, albeit cliché, Christmas is truly about family, not all the gifts received. Though we were missing her physically here with us this Christmas, I can say with utter sincerity that the best gift I received this Christmas was the time spent talking to Mal for the first time in more than a month. The Grinch really had it right after all: Maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas means a little bit more.
Casi:
What does it mean to be the sibling of a World Racer? Wow, what a question. First, let me introduce myself. Hi, I’m Cassidy. I am Mallory’s sister by marriage, but since Zach (my husband/Mal’s brother) and I have been together for 11 years, it feels like “sister-in-law” doesn’t quite do our relationship justice. So instead, we always say “keep the ‘sister,’ drop the ‘in-law.’”
Now, back to the question at hand: What does it mean to be the sibling of a world racer? There are too many things that run through my mind when I try to think of a good answer to that question. My first thought is: it means pride. When I sit and think of what Mallory is doing, what she has gone through to get to this point, what she has given up, how hard she has worked, her passion, her heart… It’s almost like I can physically feel my heart explode with pride. That’s my sister!!
Now, when I dig a little deeper into the answer to this question, things get a little more complex. At the risk of exposing myself as a terribly selfish person, I will try to be completely honest. Let me rewind and I’ll give you some background:
Mallory and I started our relationship relatively awkwardly. Picture this: me, an introverted high schooler, sitting on the Prices’ couch watching movies with her brother as she, an introverted 5th or 6th grader, would walk through the living room to get to the kitchen in her pajamas. She’d always give a little half wave and speed up to get out of there as quickly as she could. These interactions went on for several years before we spoke more than a few sentences at a time to each other. Looking back now, I like to think that God saw the two of us and said “You two are gonna need each other.” So, Mal and I slowly got to know each other, and one day we realized we had grown so close that we couldn’t imagine life before we had done so.
So, back to now. Under normal circumstances, Mallory and I talk in one form or another nearly every day. Whether it’s sending each other memes or Taylor Swift videos on instagram, buzzfeed quizzes answering the ever pressing question of “which Taylor Swift song are you?”, texting about things ranging from Taylor Swift (seeing a pattern here?), to our deepest thoughts, feelings, and concerns. When a relationship like this happens so gradually, it’s easy to take for granted. So, when Mal announced that she was going on the World Race, I started noticing exactly how much we talked and communicated. Like I mentioned, I am an introvert (shout out to all the ISFJ’s and enneagram Type 4’s). For me, it’s rare to find someone I connect with. When I find these people, I hold them tight and I don’t let go.
At first, it felt like we still had all the time in the world before Mal left. Then, it was just a few short months away, and suddenly it was here. The first two months were actually okay. We (her family) still talked to her regularly, and she still felt accessible. For me, it didn’t feel too different from her living in Tennessee, other than the communication was a little less frequent. Then, she told us around Thanksgiving that she was going on a fast from talking to her friends and family back home for a month. Let me be the one to tell you- for an introvert, not talking to one of your “people” for a month feels like a LONG time. To be 100% honest it has felt a little like a breakup. I’ve been able to keep up from Mal from afar. I could see all of Mal’s posts, read her blogs, and watch her stories on Instagram… But I couldn’t talk to her. I can tell you that at LEAST 3 times this month I have full-on bawled because I missed her so much. I am holding back tears writing this right now (I am an emotional person, FYI, bear with me). I have had to stop listening to certain Taylor Swift songs because they make me cry because the memories they hold remind me of how much I miss her.
So, there’s the hard part. Now, let me turn all that around and present it through the positive lens. As I said in the beginning, the first emotion I feel is pride. And really, that permeates all of my feelings- even the sad ones. If I didn’t have such an amazing sister, being without her for a year wouldn’t be nearly as hard. Not talking to her for a month would be no big deal. And since I have been able to keep up with her from afar, I have been able to see all the work God is doing through Mal. The joy and truth she is spreading, the lives she is encountering, and the impact she is having on them.
Mallory has gone on a journey with me, whether or not she realizes it, over the past several years. A journey of two introverts together exploring what it means to be self confident and to hold your own. A journey of learning who you are, and who you are meant to be. Mal has heard her calling and she has answered with an enthusiastic “YES, LORD!”. Mallory has spoken truth into my life, she has built me up when I needed encouragement, and comforted me when I needed a shoulder. She inspires me to be a better person, and I am constantly astounded by her heart, mind, and spirit. Her honesty and vulnerability in sharing her experience is truly amazing. So, with all of this being said, I know that if Mallory has even 1/100th of the effect on those she is serving/serving with that she has had on me, their lives will be made better. They will see the love of Jesus through her. I have absolutely no doubt that she is making waves, and that through her the Lord is touching the lives of others in ways none of us can really fathom.
And for that, I will gladly give up my sister for however long she is called.
Zach:
Sunday Night, December 23, 9:30pm:
It’s Christmas Eve Eve (‘Twas the night before Christmas Eve…) and I’m here in my living room in Louisville, Ky. To my right is the Christmas tree that my wife and I decorated for the first time in our new home. The pile of presents that awaits at the base of the tree suggests that Christmas is nearly here. In less than 36 hours, Saint Nick himself will shimmy down fireplaces like the one that crackles across the room from me now. And, he will fill up stockings like the ones marked Z, C, and B, that hang from our mantel – Zach (me), Cassidy (my wife), and Bowie (our dog).
The picturesque nature of this night isn’t just confined to my living room though. It’s a classic late December night in our neighborhood. Homes are decorated with lights, wreaths, and inflatable Christmas characters. The street is lined with cars bearing out-of-state license plates that will carry moms and dads, grandpas and grandmas, aunts and uncles, and cousins into the living rooms of their loved ones.
Christmas is a special time for families and the Price family is no exception. I would even go so far as to argue that Christmas is extra special for our family because of the ways we’ve been blessed with tremendously loving parents and grandparents. The older I get, the more I appreciate the ways that our parents and grandparents have always sacrificed, loved, and supported Kassidy, Mallory, and myself. Christmas is the time of year that this love is most evident because its the time we are all together and it’s the time we express our love for one another through our generosity, our encouragement for one another, and our laughter.
And so, it was no surprise to read in some of Mallory’s posts this month that she was starting to experience some homesickness related to the holidays. For those of us here in the States, we’ve all had November/December circled as what would likely be the hardest months to have Mallory away from us. I hope Mallory doesn’t take offense to this, but I haven’t really worried about being without her on George Washington’s birthday in February. We don’t usually share plans for St. Patrick’s Day, so I don’t anticipate that being any harder of a day than others to think of Mallory being on a different continent. But, Christmas? Come on. I expect these two days (Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) to be two of the most challenging days for me and my entire family to be without Mallory.
Mallory’s absence is the elephant in every room of our family Christmas this year. It’s the thing we will mention because it’s unavoidable, but also the thing that we are trying our hardest not to think too much about. But, underneath the sadness is the undeniable joy we feel for her courage in taking this tremendous leap of faith and embarking on an 11-month adventure around the world. Beneath the melancholy of her empty seat at our family Christmas gathering lies the numerous ways that all of us have been inspired by Mallory’s grit and persistence in committing to this leap of faith and then following it to fruition.
For me, Mallory’s journey to the World Race is an affirmation of God’s creative work in every human being. In my youngest sister, I’ve seen God shine brightly in her wit, her creativity, and her love for others. To be a young 20-something is to be asked regularly by friends and loved ones, “Who are you going to be? What do you want to do?” I’ve been so inspired by Mallory’s fight to stay true to who God is creating her to be. She has remained committed to living the story that He is writing in and through her even when she doesn’t know what the next chapter contains.
Christmas 2018 won’t be the same without Mallory. Our family Christmas will feature a few less laughs, a few less 90’s pop culture references, and significantly fewer Disney songs. But, the satisfaction of knowing that Mallory is living the life she was called to this year will be enough to hold us over until next year.
Mallory, we love you and we miss you. Your willingness to sacrifice a year of your life to serve others and learn more about yourself and the abundant world God created is awe-inspiring in a way that words can’t capture. We will sacrifice Christmas 2018 with you for the joy of knowing that you’re doing exactly what you’re supposed to be doing right now.
Merry Christmas, ya filthy animal.
