Small Miracles

They sat, huddled together beneath the brightly lit Christmas tree, giggling as they described to their new found friend how they'd never seen snow before. Slowly as the week progressed, it melted, but not before the snowfight, the tree purchased, the shops invaded, the parties attended, and the tours taken. Their high school exchange program was soon to end, but not before they reflected on their visit, sharing one last set of digital pictures.

They sat, huddled together, working on tomato soup. There's has been an incredible journey: from childbirth, to grade school to college and beyond. There were seemingly endless Christmas's spent tearing through packages before, but now it is quieter. Other things are more pressing. "Would a chocolate shake taste good?" She is weak, but smiles. "I love chocolate shakes," she says. She calls and asks if she should add Ensure. She sleeps more now and good news comes in small bits: her white count's normal and she only needed two liters of fluid IV this week. "Mom, Mom? Mom, we're heading home now. You going to be okay, Mom?" She drifted back to sleep while her husband, exhausted, looked on.

I woke this morning and discovered that another blanket of snow had arrived overnight. Undisturbed, its perfect lumninescent contours served to soften even the most jagged of nature's edges.

It's a wonder how the peace of the holiday season can be found in the most unlikely of places.

-Wes