BALTIMORE COUNTY — As many families gather around the table this holiday season, thousands of service members are spending the holidays far from home and their families are learning how to celebrate without them.
For the Parke family in Baltimore County, the holidays usually mean big meals, matching pajamas, and everyone together under one roof. This year, one chair is noticeably empty.
Specialist Chyna Davis is deployed to the southern border with the United States Maryland Army National Guard, marking the first holiday season she has missed since joining the military. She’s a couple months into her year-long deployment.
“It’s not gonna be the same this year,” said her mother, Michelle Parke. “I haven’t even put up a tree. Christmas is on hold.”
In the Parke family kitchen, the holidays now begin with breakfast. Eggs sizzling on the stove, plates set on the table and a quiet reminder that someone they love isn’t there. She says the distance has changed everything, including how often she talks to her daughter.
“I can’t call every day,” she explained. “I don’t want her to worry. I just want her to do her job.”
When they do connect, it’s often through FaceTime…moments Parke says she studies closely, looking for reassurance in the smallest details.
“I’m looking at the background… little things,” she said. “I’m just making sure everything’s OK.”
For Davis’ siblings, the absence is felt in the traditions she usually leads, especially in the kitchen.
“Usually she’ll make the mac and cheese,” her sister Damira Grey said. “So it’s definitely like something missing.”
That distance is felt on both ends. When Davis spoke with WMAR from Texas, the connection wasn’t always clear. During a Zoom interview, the audio breaks up and the screen freezes at times which was a fitting symbol of how far away she really is.
“The holiday season can be pretty rough away from family,” Davis said. “But I’m always here to serve whenever the nation needs me.”
While deployed, Davis says she and her fellow soldiers are creating new traditions, leaning on each other to get through the holidays together. Thanksgiving meals, Secret Santa exchanges, and shared downtime help replace what they’re missing back home.
Back in Maryland, the worry never fully fades. Michelle says pride and concern exist at the same time and emotions she didn’t anticipate before her daughter joined the military.
“I have a soldier,” she said. “She’s serving her country. It’s very emotional for me as her mother.”
She hopes people remember that behind every uniform is a family navigating the holidays differently — counting days, leaning on phone calls, and finding strength in staying connected.
“It’s not just about her,” Michelle said. “We’re praying for all of them, all the soldiers, that they make it back home to their families.”
Despite the distance, Davis says hearing from home is what keeps her grounded. And as she continues to serve through the holidays, she has a message for those watching back home.
“This is Specialist Davis with the United States Maryland Army National Guard,” she said. “I just want to wish everybody a happy holiday and a happy New Year.”