Chicken Soup for the Soul: Time for Christmas

Christmas Miracles

In the Nick of Time

Every traveler has a home of his own, and he learns to appreciate it the more from his wandering.

~Charles Dickens

Unpredictable doesn’t begin to describe our lifestyle when my husband was flying C-5s. By choice, we lived in a rural area of Dover, Delaware. We could have lived on base, but we always made it a priority to try to live out in the community so that our family could integrate and experience regular life as opposed to base life. So we were living on a small farm complete with sheep, chickens, the occasional pot-bellied pig and Amish neighbors.

I learned early on that life would be very different here. Four-day missions turned into month-long excursions with little or no direct contact with my husband. Well-meaning base personnel would call and give us updates that frequently led to tearful disappointments when missions would change, and children who were bouncing with anticipation would have to be told it would be another week… at least. Eventually, I asked them not to call unless they knew for a fact that his plane had crossed that golden line over the ocean that meant it couldn’t turn back.

It was situation normal when my husband announced that he would be leaving the day after Thanksgiving for a four- to six-day mission. No big deal, status quo, so we got our Christmas tree early, enjoyed Thanksgiving with friends, and then said our goodbyes. By this time, the farewells barely left a ripple in our days, and we got on with whatever we were doing. Our children were young and homeschooled, so this meant diving into projects and keeping a fairly normal schedule.

This also meant I was on 24/7 duty, and it was getting critical after about two weeks. He wasn’t back, and I hadn’t had a second to do my Christmas shopping, let alone bake all the goodies my children were dreaming about. Three weeks in, it looked like we were going to be on our own for the holiday. This realization landed me on the front porch of our nearest Amish neighbor, tearfully asking if they would please watch my youngest while I ran out to get everything I needed for Christmas.

Mattie was a beautiful Amish woman, probably in her sixties then, and more than happy to take him in for a few hours. This is someone who helped me chase my sheep when they snuck out of their fence on more than one occasion, taught me about Rhode Island Reds, and shared eggs, canned fruits, baked goods and the occasional recipe. I thought she hung the moon. I tried my best to return these favors, but I was more the type who had to explain that I had baked them a beautiful pie, which had looked great until my youngest son accidentally sat on it.

Over the course of December, I received a couple of calls indicating that my husband might or might not be on his way — which I did not relay to the kids. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary heartbreak. We went ahead and made sugar cookies and a gingerbread house with full gumdrop trimmings, and planned our traditional Christmas Eve dinner of homemade bread and New England clam chowder. The gifts were wrapped and ready to be placed under the tree on Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve morning, the phone rang. It was a ham radio operator letting me know he had a MARS (Military Auxiliary Radio System) patch call for me. It was my husband letting me know that they had crossed that golden line, and he would be home. I knew he wouldn’t call unless he was positive, but I also knew better than to say anything because things change when you least expect it.

I proceeded with our normal Christmas Eve activities. Christmas music and sugar cookies fueled the day while the smell of baked bread filled the house. I put the finishing touches on the table and our soup as the kids played out the Christmas story in the living room. They couldn’t wait to take their baths and get into their Christmas pajamas so we could have dinner and read The Night Before Christmas.

We sat around our carefully set farm table and said grace, prayed especially for Daddy, and dug into our favorite meal of the year. From where I was sitting at the table, I could see our front door clearly, and there framed in the window stood my husband — tired, scruffy-faced and still in his flight suit. My heart skipped a beat as he raised a finger to his lips to keep me from saying anything. I held my breath as he knocked on the door. Three heads snapped up from their bowls, and our home erupted with shouts of Daddy’s home! Daddy’s home! He’s really home! They were at the door before he could get it fully open and were all over him in a second.

We laugh about our Hallmark Card Christmas now, but the feelings are still fresh — even twenty-five years later — and all that joy wells up in my heart all over again. Being a military family has its challenges and hardships, but it can have its sweetness, too. I won’t pretend it was easy being the one left behind, to hold down the fort or whatever phrase we use to describe the day-to-day. It could be downright hard, but it made those homecomings all the more significant and memorable.

— Susan Mulder —

Gramma’s Gift

A grandmother is like an angel, who takes you under her wing. She prays and watches over you, and she’ll gift you anything.

~Author Unknown

The Christmas season could only really begin once my grandparents arrived for their annual December visit. The moment they pulled into our driveway, our home would light up with their love and delight in spending time with their family.

Gramma, in particular, relished the joy of the season. She’d hum Christmas carols as she wrapped gifts and addressed her hand-painted cards. We would bake chocolate kringle cookies and read stories in front of the tree. On Christmas Eve, we’d sing Silent Night on the ride home from church, while I snuggled against her in the back seat and looked for Rudolph’s red nose in the dark sky.

Years passed, and Gramma shared our traditions with my three children, her great-grandchildren. They learned how to melt chocolate for the kringles and roll out the pie dough without handling it too much. They read the same Christmas stories, curled up on Gramma’s lap.

We always said Gramma was the closest person to a real angel on earth. She was serene, patient and always positive. She never, ever spoke a bad word about anyone. She was devoted to her family, and Christmas was the time of year when her beautiful spirit really shined.

When Gramma had a stroke at age ninety-seven in February 2019, we knew it was time to say goodbye. She’d lived a full and happy life. I drove to Pennsylvania with my fourteen-year-old daughter Lucie to see her in hospice care. During the two-hour drive, I tried to prepare Lucie for what was happening. We talked about life, death, and the afterlife. I told her how some people believe that our spirits carry on and are still present after death. I shared with her some of the stories I’d read in my job as a Chicken Soup for the Soul editor, putting together our latest book of stories about angels and miracles, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Angels All Around.

We said our goodbyes. Gramma wasn’t able to speak or respond, but we could tell she was listening. Lucie handled it with composure beyond her years, and in our final parting, she said, Send us a sign when you’re gone, Gramma, a sign that you’re with us.

Months went by, and one day Lucie asked me if I’d seen any signs from Gramma. No, I hadn’t seen any signs. I wondered if I should have told her those angel stories and created those expectations. Now she was waiting for a sign, in the literal way that a teenager would. What if there was no sign? I worried that she’d be disappointed and think Gramma was just gone forever.

The Christmas season arrived, and it seemed that Lucie had forgotten about watching for Gramma’s sign. But we all felt an emptiness in the season without her. We tried baking chocolate kringle cookies, but they turned out flat and didn’t quite taste as good. We sang Away in a Manger, but it sounded off-key.

December festivities kicked into full swing, and I became too busy to dwell on missing Gramma. In fact, I was too busy even to enjoy the spirit of the season. It flew by without a moment of appreciation for my bright-eyed children and their excitement for our family holiday traditions.

On Christmas Eve day, I saw our mail carrier deliver a stack of cards to our mailbox, but I was frantically doing all the things a mom does the day before Christmas — wrapping, cleaning, baking, cooking, and preparing. I’ll collect the mail tomorrow, I thought.

After hosting dinner for thirty people, I collapsed into bed. But instead of falling into a dreamy Christmas Eve slumber, I tossed and turned in my regret that I had been too busy to even pause and enjoy my family during this special time of year.

Christmas morning, I was exhausted. I had a cup of coffee and smiled through the flurry of unwrapping. Once it was over, my husband took the kids to his parents nearby to see their cousins and open more gifts. At last, I had some time to myself. I went for a quiet walk and reflected on all the wonderful Christmases I’ve had. I thought about Gramma and promised myself to be more positive like her, to take more time to enjoy the small moments in life.

Back home, I went by the mailbox and grabbed the mail before jumping in the shower. I stopped short when I saw the card at the top of the pile, addressed in Gramma’s distinctive cursive handwriting. And then my eye went to the return address: Thelma A. Church, with her home address. I ripped open the card. It was Gramma’s hand-painted Christmas card, a lovely watercolor she did every year:

Dearest Jamie, Tom, Lucie, Emmett and Clara,

To all 5 of you —

What a precious family! It will be so nice to see you on Christmas. Save a few hugs for me.

Love you,

Gramma

It was last year’s Christmas card that hadn’t been delivered. It had a December 2018 postmark, and there was a slight error in our address, so it hadn’t made it to our house last year. Somehow, it had ended up in our mailbox on our first Christmas without Gramma.

There was no logical explanation. I quizzed family members and even asked our mail carrier what happens to undelivered mail. Was there a chance it was in a box of lost Christmas cards that were redelivered the following year? She shook her head. No way, she said. That’s just a Christmas miracle.

Gramma gave me the gift of knowing she was with me on Christmas Day and every day. I slept like a baby that night for the first time in weeks, with Gramma’s card propped next to my bed.

— Jamie Cahill —

The Night Santa Claus Cried

Every day holds the possibility of a miracle.

~Author Unknown

Four-year-old David was giddy with excitement as we drew near to the front of the line to see Santa Claus. He stood on his toes to see over the shoulder of the taller boy in front of him. We’re next, Mama, he said, grabbing my hand and pulling me forward.

Santa gently patted the back of the little boy who scrambled off his lap and turned to us. He held his hand out to David, barely giving me a glance. Come, sonny. Tell Santa what you want for Christmas. He smiled indulgently as David rattled off an impossibly long list of toys he’d seen advertised on TV. You know, son, I have many boys and girls to bring gifts to. I may not be able to bring you everything you want, but I think I can bring the things you’d like most.

David looked puzzled. How will you know which things I want most?

Santa gave a low chuckle. Santa knows. For the first time, he really looked at me. The twinkle left his green eyes, and he swallowed. He turned to Mrs. Claus, who was passing out candy canes to the kids as they left. I think I need a quick break.

Something in his face made her react quickly. Boys and girls, Santa will be back in a few minutes. He just needs a little break.

Santa gently slid David off his lap and stood to follow Mrs. Claus. Although he tried to turn his head away from the kids, I was standing right in front of him, and I saw the tears in his eyes as he hurried away. I saw him grab Mrs. Claus by the arm and say something to her just as I was turning to leave. She looked back at me and motioned me to come forward. For a moment, I was too stunned to move, wondering what was happening and how it could involve me. She gestured again, this time almost frantically.

I grabbed David’s hand and followed them into a small storage area in the rear of the store. Without saying a word, Mrs. Claus abruptly left the room. Santa stood staring at me, his green eyes glistening with tears that he somehow managed to keep from falling. I knew that if David had not been there, this man would have been sobbing. But why? And what did he want from me?

Beth? he whispered hoarsely. You are Beth. I know you are. He swallowed. I’ve looked for you for years, honey. He saw the confusion on my face, and he took the cap off his head and tore the fake glasses from his nose. My hair and beard used to be red, but they turned snow-white quite some time ago. I’m your daddy, honey.