As a winter Goer, it is only logical to acknowledge that the Christmas/New Year holidays are the last to be spent with family for months or even the next two years. In anticipation of the "last," it is easy to think that every encounter must be grandiose to make up for the celebrations to be missed or to avoid it like the plague. This is our response to fear or sadness.
As I talk to other Goers and overseas workers, it seems this is not an individual struggle. Yes, it is sad/difficult because Holidays are fun with family and friends, but more so because they represent the sacrifice being made. It is more than missing holidays; it's birthdays, graduations, weddings, deaths, doctors' appointments, promotions, vacations, etc.
One wise friend of mine profoundly confessed during such a conversation that in her 20+ years overseas, she had to learn to grieve. "Grieve now," she said, " while you are still with them. It is and will be difficult, but if you do not allow yourself to feel it now and give it to God, you will mourn it continually, and it will affect your relationship with God and the ministry he has called you to." These words have transformed how I am saying goodbye, allowing me more freedom in God's calling to be a living sacrifice without the guilt of leaving family, friends, and the potential of memories with them.