Here is my favorite miracle wrapped beautifully in Holiday Spirit. Christmas eve forty-five years ago my husband, Howard, and I prepared for an unusual, possibly depressing, Christmas holiday because my stepfather, Jim, had terminal cancer. But, never in a million Christmases did we expect to end up immersed in a miracle!
At the time, we had to take the ferry from Vancouver Island to reach the mainland where my parents lived. We packed up Christmas gifts and our "traveling trouble-adors "Channel and Camelot, Shaded Silver Persian cats whose fluffy, white winter coats resembled the cuffs on Santa's red jacket.
A torrential downpour greeted us in Vancouver, the weather thus matching our moods. As we pulled up to my childhood home, it's Christmas lights sparkliness transfixed me, transporting me back in time. My how things have changed over the years! We opened the car doors and out leapt the cats, eager to re-explore the familiar territory.
I entered the house into the kitchen where Jim's well-stocked "pharmacy" stood as the ammunition in his war against pain and illness. A heaviness hung in the air as if the Spirit of Christmas had yet to make an appearance, or had refused to board the ferry with us, purr-furring instead to remain behind on the Island with all of our friends and neighbors. So, we decided to make an early night of it and all went to bed.
I was the first to awaken on Christmas morning, the most magical day for children everywhere. Everyone else in the household was still peacefully asleep so even though it was only 7:00 a.m., I decided to call my best friend, Rita, back on Vancouver Island; after all, her giggling children would have awakened her hours ago. "Hello", she answered in a weak, "crackly" voice. "Rita, are you all right?!", I asked. "Who is this?!", a total stranger replied."
Oh! Oh! Apparently, the busy holiday phone lines had crossed resulting in awakening an elderly woman. I apologized for waking her, but she said, "Not to worry. It is nice to have someone to talk to, as I don't have anything to do today, nor anyone to talk to."
No one is a stranger to me, so we began chatting.
Rita's number is a long distance, so I was curious as to where this woman lived. "Burnaby," she said. About ten miles away!
I know that when many phones are in use "wires" get crossed. But, how could this be? She only lived a few miles away when their phone numbers and area codes weren't even close!
Introducing herself, she said that her name was Faith and that she was an 80 year old widow and she did not have children. She continued that she had no reason to get up, as she had no one to share Christmas with. She was "glad" I phoned, "A bit of a Christmas gift." She was all alone, while we at least had each other. She joked that my "wake up" call was a gift!
Faith and I talked for an hour. My mother awakened in the meantime so I asked her if Faith could share Christmas dinner with us and she said, "Yes." Faith hung up the phone. Hours later she caught the first of many buses. Little did the last bus driver know that he would really be delivering a Christmas miracle.
Excitedly anticipating the arrival of our "mystery" guest, our home's atmosphere was transformed from "doom and gloom" into JOY, the delicious aroma of the holiday turkey wafting from the oven, all through the house.
In the skiff of snow I met Faith at the bus stop. As a child, I frequently "rescued" stray animals, but this new rescue was an adventure, resulting in a wonderful visit, sharing a delicious meal and lots of laughter!
After dinner, Faith and I donned our coats in preparation to drive her home but we were sidetracked by a miracle so extraordinary that we are still in awe of it after all of these years!
Faith and my mother were saying their last "Good-byes!" when my mother asked, "What is your last name?". Faith replied, "Holden."
"No!" my mother responded, "That's OUR last name. What is YOUR last name?"
We all experienced the shock of our lives when Faith, repeated, "That is MY last name. Holden. H-o-l-d-e-n."
What are the odds? The same last name spelled the same way!
How had we been divinely put together with someone with the same family name?
What a miraculous, Divine, coincidence! Obliviously, the universe was saying, "Family is not by birth alone, but also by Divine appointment. We are all one!"
Still in shock, (and our coats), we sat down on the living room couch beside the ticking grandfather clock, unprepared for even more as-yet-to-be-revealed surprises as Faith shared the story of her life. Her husband was from England, as was my stepfather, Jim, with both families migrating to the same city in Canada. Both of their husbands were the second of four children, with the same combination of brothers and sisters in the same birth order, and all of the siblings remaining childless
after marriage. Faith and my mother had attended the same high school. An amazing list of coincidences, as if the two women were reading from identical books of life, reiterating one similar experience after another.
How was it possible to dial a long distance number on Christmas morning, but end up connecting with a "local" person who needed us as much as we needed her?!
Unbelievably mysterious--God obviously works overtime on Christmas; how else could I have connected to a "stranger" with the last name of Holden?! It is a Christmas and a miracle we will never forget! And the clincher: Faith revealed that her phone number is UNLISTED! So, even if we had wanted to locate her, we could not have, adding evening more mystery to this Christmas Morning Miracle!
May your holidays be magical, filled with miracles, family and friends. And if the holidays look dull create some magic and memories for others.
Did you ever receive a pet for Christmas?
