The Angel's Gift

Christmas Eve, 1997...but tonight, sitting by candlelight pondering Christmas memories...it seems only yesterday...

"Andy, are you ready to go?"

"Hold on.  I'll be there in a minute" he responds.

"Chuck, could you please finish dressing Lee.  I'm hooking Mac up to his monitor and dressing him."

"Mom" calls Wanda.  "Would you please fix my hair?"

"Yes, sweetie, but I need to finish dressing Mac first."

Then I realize that I'm not dressed and my hair is a mess.  It is hectic getting a sixteen year old son, an extremely active two year old son, a medically fragile infant and an eight year old daughter ready to leave the house together.  But I smile, feeling the blessings of family on this holy night.

Finally, everyone is fully clothed, hair in place, wired to monitor and potty breaks taken.  We head out for the candlelight Christmas Eve service at our church.  The church has a large congregation, and we must arrive a bit early to be assured a seat.

When we enter the sanctuary there are no visible seats available.  An usher leads us to the front of the church to a pew where one of the elderly ladies of the church is sitting alone.  She smiles as she slides over to make room for our entourage of bodies and necessary gear.  There is no time to chat, other than our exchange of "Merry Christmas"...the service begins.

As the lights come on and we prepare to leave, the elderly lady speaks, "What a beautiful family.  How old is your baby?"

"Thank you" I reply.  "He is three months old, but he is not our son.  We are his foster parents and the plan is for him to return to his birth mother."  As I spoke those words, tears weld up in my eyes.  I realized just how much I loved him and wondered how I could ever let him go.

The lady smiles; her face aglow.  "Oh honey" she says, "He is your child.  Merry Christmas."

A peace flows through my soul such as I have never before felt.  I look into the the crystal blue eyes of the lady, again she smiles, but I have no words.  She rises slowly, beginning her walk down the aisle, and for a moment...just a moment...I could have sworn wings were peeking from beneath her Christmas red coat.

This Christmas Mac is ten years old, and of all my sons, he has the biggest Christmas spirit.  He is the angel's gift to us.

~~~~~

Visit Wrapped Emotions to read about his week's prompt, lucubration.

This post is also a part of this week's blog blast at The Parent Blogger's Network, "What Makes A Gift Memorable?"  The blog blast is sponsored by Excitations which offers a variety of memorable "experience" gifts for all ages.

My heart feels it is the gifts which money cannot buy that are memorable...love is the greatest gift.