The Season of Miracles

After all the days and weeks of planning and spending, how can it be that Christmas is over? Despite everything – quarantines, vaccines, masks, job insecurity, worry about M, falling off a ladder and other issues – it really is my favorite time of the year. All the lights and the sparkle make me happy.

This year had a bonus surprise that I definitely wasn’t expecting. For the past few years, M hasn’t bought me a Christmas present. In 2017, he bought me something, but he was distraught when he saw that he had several package to open on Christmas morning and I only had one. He said he hadn’t thought about it – even though I had been dropping hints in the weeks leading up to the big day. So he spent all Christmas day that year trying to log onto Amazon and buy me stuff. This was before we knew about his diagnosis, but I had a good idea something was wrong and I finally told him not to worry about it.

In 2018 and 2019, he never asked me what I wanted for Christmas and never seemed to notice if I hinted about something, so I decided that if I wanted to have anything under the tree, I had better get it for myself. I did and it worked out just fine. M was surprised by his gifts and by mine and never said anything about it.

So, for 2020, I did the same thing . . . bought myself some gifts. I hadn’t gone so far as wrapping them yet, but I was ready. Then M pops up on Christmas Eve with a bag and a piece of wrapping paper – he had a gift for me! I wasn’t sure how he had done it – our younger son, who was at the house, swore he hadn’t been involved in getting a gift for me – but there it was!

All was revealed on Christmas morning when I opened a pair of earrings from the local jewelry store. M and I had been in there a few weeks ago getting new batteries in our watches. While we were waiting, I walked around the store, looking at the display cases. Evidently, M was paying attention! Sometime between then and Christmas, he walked back to the jewelry store and bought a pair of earrings for me. Thank goodness, they were very reasonably priced (not sure what I would have done if he had bought diamonds or something expensive!!)

Of course, there were challenging moments over the holiday. Moments of misunderstanding and frayed tempers and “discussions” over how many t-shirts worn at one time were too many. But I think I’ll always remember Christmas 2020 as the year that I actually experienced my very own Christmas miracle.

I hope your holidays were full of joy and blessings and that 2021 brings you peace.