My Christmas Miracle

Here we are, on December 24, down to the last few hours before the Christmas chaos descends upon us.? And as always, I am amazed how much can be shoved, stuffed, and packaged into the last calendar month. The season of Advent and Christmas represents the most incredible and astounding of all miracles, the celebration of the birth of our Savior.? That story is beyond miraculous, and while I don’t mean to compare the birth of Christ to Albert Einstein, it was the noted scientist who once said “there are two ways to live life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is one”.?

Each year that passes provides me more reasons to believe that everything we do, how we do it, and who we do it with is nothing short of a miracle. It’s been seven years since I moved back home to Ohio to help manage a few of the everyday tasks and details so that my mother could continue living as independently as possible. Those who follow me on LinkedIn, are familiar with my story and the hospitality business I launched in order to be able to provide daily assistance and help her sustain as normal of a life as possible. More miraculous than the business side of my life has been the gift of enjoying the last seven years with mother, and to have had witnessed and shared so many events with her. While she has dementia, and her lifestyle has been altered to adjust to the lessening of her physical and mental capabilities, there are memories that are still very clear, and she is surprisingly aware of current events and the passage of seasons and life celebrations.

?In August we canned 50 quarts of tomato juice.? Canning and preserving was something she did with her mother, and at 95 years of age, she still wants to be involved in the process. As each can sealed, with the trademark "pinging" sound, she would mark a small "x" on the top of the lid. She also wanted to plant two new rose bushes in the garden, asking only that they be very fragrant so she could enjoy their sweet scent when they bloomed. This fall, as always, she insisted on watching the harvest of soy beans and corn at a farm nearby, asking me to check on the percentage of moisture the crops were yielding. And last week, she had an appointment with her cardiologist who asked her how she was feeling.? Without hesitation she said, “quite possibly, better than you”.? The fact that Mom will turn 96 her next birthday, and that she keeps her hand in preserving and keeping up with the fall harvest and insists that she have the last word with her doctors is not only impressive, but miraculous and inspiring.?

I’m sure many have heard me relate that she often muses about what purpose she has left to fulfill and why she continues to live on.? I always tell her that it’s because there are still lessons for her to teach, especially to me.? Rarely does a day pass that I don’t make use of a lesson she has impressed upon me.? Recently, I came across a quote by Pope John Paul II who admonished that we “place our talents and enthusiasm at the service of life”.? I know full well that my mother has fulfilled this promise, but as for me, my Christmas miracle is continuing to enjoy time with mother, and making myself ready and able to serve others. May you all find your special miracle this season and celebrate a Merry Christmas!