miracle

Merry Christmas EVERYONE!!!!!!! I hope that you have a wonderful holiday! I am going to share with you my most memorable Christmas ..............

When I was a single parent, living in subsidized housing project with a two year old, I didn't have the money to have much of a Christmas and certainly no money to "decorate". This was before I taught myself to be a freelancer! I was only 21 and this probably motivated me as much as anything to FIND A WAY to live lavishly on a frugal budget! I was working at a Portrait Studio and of course we were SWAMPED because it was the SEASON to get family photos, first christmas photos etc...........and working long hours. I came home from picking up my daughter from the babysitters house, tired and not really a "happy" person. I walked thru the hall and noticed that EVERYONE had put their decorations out while I was gone! Lights , wreathes, doormats etc.........which was beautiful but reminded me that I couldn't do this at the same time. When I got to my door there was a handmade wreath on my door, no note, no nothing.......but was made of cellophane and candy ..........then I noticed EVERYONES door had a handmade wreath of some sort on it......ALL DIFFERENT KINDS............A SANTA had made sure that our 8 doors.........in the projects looked BEAUTIFUL !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will always remember this very kind gesture.........no thanks were needed for this person, was done anonomously and I know the JOY that it brought to me and I only hope that the joy this SANTA got in doing it surpassed mine, because I know they are an ANGEL that deserves it!

I told myself then that if I ever got out of my situation EVERY CHRISTMAS I would work to make sure at least one person had a MERRIER CHRISTMAS because of me..........ya know..........the PASS IT ON theory.........it works! :)

In the last 17 years I have been able to do this EVERY YEAR in some capacity. Adopting families, feeding the homeless, Hospital Mission (santa), etc.........etc.........and this year OPERATION SANTA kinda took on a life of its own and went CYBER!! LOL I hope the SANTAS and the FREELANCERS enjoyed it........I know that we sure did.........even though it was "last minute" and took lots of time and strategy - I think we were able to pull off yet ANOTHER MIRACLE.........I will be putting up a page of some of the responses and will let ya know where to find them!

HUGS AND LUV TO ALL FREELANCERS.................now on with SOME OF YOUR MIRACLES!

hi anjie! i have 2 christmas miracles to tell ya about, actually they both came early this year. FIrst off, i have been in a panic for about the past year, hating my job. i mean HATING it. not even wanting to get up in the morning b/c it made me cry to think i had to go back there!!! i had been interviewing for multiple jobs and i had not heard back from any of them. well i had one job in particular that i wanted, had not heard back, it had been about 2 months ago, and then about 3 weeks ago i got a call telling me they wanted to talk to me again..etc.. well to make a long story short, I GOT THE JOB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was soooooooooooooooooo happy and that is my christmas present that came early, well one of them. The other is this---we have a dog that we absolutely LOVE and 2 weeks ago it up and ran away. I thought maybe it ran away to die b/c its 10 years old but people in the community had spotted it, so i kne! w that wasn't the case. No one that saw the dog could catch it, we would got out looking for it every day but could not find it. well yesterday at 4:45 a.m. the dog came home, barking to be let in the house! he walked in, CLEAN, looked around and then laid on the bed and went to sleep!!! it was as if someone had been taking care of him the whole time he was gone!! i thought he was gone for good, but thankfully he came home to us! we are so glad! Those are my 2 miracles this year, they both came early but i will happily take them both just the same!! Merry Christmas!!!!

My Christmas memory was the year my husband and I had a fire in our home. We had to gut our entire first floor living area and it was not done before Christmas so we didn't buy a tree. My mother came on Christmas Eve and brought us a little live tree. It wasn't the best Christmas but that gesture meant a lot to me.

This happened to my husband and I in 1989, our first Christmas together. We had moved to FL, my first time away from home, and were struggling to make ends meet. Both of us worked FT and could barely make ends meet. It was much harder there than we were used to in VA and I had just found out I was pregnant. Oh Boy!! Talk about stress!! It was 3 days before Christmas and we were broke. We came home from work to find an envelope stuck in our door. No return address, no stamp, just our names. When we opened it, out fell $400 cash. No one ever claimed it, and the landlord sure couldn't have afforded that!! No one was seen coming or going from our place (or I'm sure that enevelope would have left with them!) We waited until after Christmas to see if anyone mentioned the money that was left, perhaps by accident. After the first of the year, we decided it was meant for us and used to it help us move out into a new place and put deposits down. That definetely put a smile on our faces and sure gave us a Happy New Year. We were being looked after, and that was a blessing.

We were told he was blind from being on such a high dosage of oxygen for so long, but he has 20/20 vision. We were told he'd have side effects from the many drugs that kept him alive, but he has had none. He had surgery at 13 months (and many revisions since then) to put in a tube to drain excess fluid from his brain to his stomache (hydrocephalus) but that doesn't stop him. We were told that the drugs would effect his fine motor skills - didn't happen. We were told that he'd have trouble with learning, but he graduated from High School at the age of 16, and had already finished 1 1/2 years of accounting. We were told he'd never be an athlete because of the condition of his lungs from the chest tubes, but he's the MVP of his basketball team. We were told he would never live, but we just celebrated his 18th birthday.

My Dad who is a preacher and at the time a Pastor of our Church plus worked a full time job in the steelmills in Northern Indiana had got very sick and had to retire due to a very rare heart disease (only 10 in the US). We were barely able to pay our bills and food was getting slim around our house and Christmas was coming. We had gone to Church and my Dad hung his overcoat up on the coat rack and went into the Church Service. After Church we went out to our car and Dad pulled his gloves out of his pocket and rolled up in his glove was enough money to save our house from going into repo and enough to get groceries. Dad and Mom were thrilled to death that we could now keep our home and they could feed us kids. We were told already that we might not have a Christmas and the main concern was to keep the house and eat. Well that night we went back to Church and when we came out of Church we had presents in the back seat of our Galaxy 500 so us kids were tickled to death. When we had got home Dad entered the house first as he always did and just burst into tears and we were all saying whats wrong Dad as he stood in the way. He stood over to the side of the door and told Mom to look and then Mom just burst into tears and us kids are still on the frontporch saying whats wrong. They turn to us and say "looks like Santa came a day early here" We walked into the frontroom and it was filled with presents for all of us plus the dog. Now I was at an age that I wasn't sure about Santa but never said anything yet to Mom or Dad and this really made me wonder. My 2 brothers were sure he was there but I just couldn't figure it out. Well long story short all of our nieghbors and close family friends had got together and saved our house, fed us and made Christmas for us. Our one nieghbor had a key to our house and organized the whole thing. It's funny but 30 years later this still makes me get goose bumps and makes me thankful for true friends like Mom and Dad had and still have.

The first time I was married I was married to a drug addict that refused to work and when he did he always seemed to get hurt at work and live off of workers comp till it ran out. My kids never had much of a Christmas at our home and if it wasn't for mom and Dad there were times they wouldn't of had one. After 10 years of battling the up and downs of him quiting and going back I left him. I worked three jobs to support my kids and then I met my Husband that I'm married to now. It really was love at first site and things went very fast for us. Well Christmas time was rolling around and I was worried how to feed my kids and get Christmas for them. I had mentioned it to my then boyfriend but he was helping support his widowed Mother and never let on like he was paying any attendion to my fears. That next Friday he pulled up at my house with a bunch of bags filled with meat and some veggies, fruit, and snacks for the kids. Now this is all a week before Christmas and he said aren't you gonna put up a Christmas tree and I told him that the EX took everything except the kids stuff, a few towels, a place setting of 4 dishes, the washer and dryer, fridge and stove. I had no couch, no tv, no bed just a small almost empty house and the kids stuff. He eats supper with us and says I got to go do something and I'll be back later. He had come back a few hours later with a used couch, a new bed with frame, end tables, some pots and pans, dishes, bed linen and set it all up for me. He told me that on Saturday morning he would be back to see us and left. Well he came back and we sat around and talked (Itold him how wonderful he was to me) and he said that we were gonna go get a real Christmas tree that night and go out to eat first. He said to have the kids ready by evening. He came and got us and it started to snow the prettiest snow you ever saw. We went to eat first then stopped at Walmart and Kmart and bought all new ornaments for our tree. Then we went and picked out our tree and went home. We put it up and put all the new ornaments on it and strung popcorn for the tree. The next day was our day and he took me shopping and bought all our Christmas presents for the kids and asked me to marrie him that day too. WE have now been together 14 years and he still loves to surprise me every now and then. It really was Love at first site and it's still just as good.

My Christmas miracle happened just in the past few days. My mother who
lives 500 hundred miles away had to have emergency open heart surgery this
past Wednesday. She had a heart valve replacement. She is suffering from
lymphoma also. But Hallelujia, she is doing fine. As she told me, nothing
is going to keep her from making her granddaugher's( my daughter) college
graduation. Way to go MOM!!!!!
Thanks for letting me share my miracle.

Our christmas miracle is that I still have a sister and and a neice after a terrible wreck on thanksgiving. But that was only the begining. Here is the bad part, after loosing her car (she didn't have insurance and car was definately totaled), she also got kicked out of her house (she is a single mother of 3 and has a hard time keeping up with all her expenses). So now homeless and carless she was really really depressed (needless to say). Well, here comes the miracle part, a local church has selected her and her family for their family in need for christmas, the church has each of the kids about 15 presents each and some for my sister also. As if that wasn't enough, the people where my sister works (a radiology dept., she's a recep.) all started handing her checks last week so she could go do some christmas shopping for her and the kids. The doctors were VERY generous!! All total, after it was done she had about 550.00 and about 75 in gc's!!!!! Wooo Hoooooo I DO believe in miracles!! It doesn't come close to solving her problems, but it certainly helped brighten up christmas for her and the 3 little ones!!!

This will fall under just a special Christmas story. When I was about 12 or
13 I was so in love with Duran Duran like to the point where I wanted to be
in a band. Let me continue by saying we were not well to do at all as I was
growing up. I had asked for this really cool Casio Keyboard that also had
drums and percussion sounds. It was about $100.00. I don't know why I
wanted it so badly back then, but I did. We opened up our presents Christmas
morning and I was happy with everything I got, but no keyboard. Part of me
knew it was too expensive, but part of me still wished for it. So we all
cleaned up the paper then mom and dad asked me and my sister to go clean up
our room and make our beds. I was so mad! Never had they asked us on
Christmas to clean and make our beds. I made such a fuss about doing it,
but nevertheless turned around and went to my lower bunk bed and began
making the bed. As I went to pull the sheets, I lifted up the blanket and
guess what had been in my bed.................. you guessed it, the Casio
Keyboard.

My Christmas miracle was in 2001. Our son, Nick, at
16,was diagnosed with bone cancer in Jan. 2001. He
spent all of the year in chemo & had a complete knee
replacement. He was finished with chemo right before
Thanksgiving & in December had tests that came back as
NO EVIDENCE OF DISEASE!!!!!!! That was a very special
Christmas for our family and a wonderful reminder that
prayers are answered.
Merry Christmas to you & yours.

My special Christmas happend a few years back. My brother and his wife
along with their 4 young daughters (all under the age of 8)had hit some
financial difficulties. My brothers employer was also struggling
financially and had not paid their employees for over a month. It was
looking like Santa was not going to make it to their house that year. But
with the help of some elves we were able to load up the back of my SUV and
deliver presents for under their Christmas tree that year. My brothers
response was "I don't know how I will ever be able to repay you." The
elves response was "You can't repay us, however, sometime in the future
your life situation will be better and there will be someone you know that
will be in need. The only repayment you can give is to 'Pass It On'".
Anjie I am happy to report my brothers christmas' are brighter now and each
and every year he and his family continue to "Pass It On". Merry Christmas
to you and yours!

Last year was looking to be very bad had my mother and sister (both mental ill mom on meds sister refuses to take) my sister is 18 yrs older and thinks she can walk in to my life now and be a mother to me. I have grandkids my self. Was involeved in a self help group coda and one of the member knew how bad thing was for me, had retreated to bedroom never came out except to leave. DH would even bring my food to me. so she begged, pleaded and bribbed me to come to her house for dinner. Dh (kicking and screaming) and off we went. It was one of the best christmass I have ever had. Meet a lady their (friend of theirs) that had excaped from Gremany during the war and the storys she told was wonderful to listen to. The sing and danceing she did in different ports to pay for her way and place she lived. Remided me that their are people out their that have suffered more than I have and gave me a new look on the holidays that year. I went home and wished mother and sister a merry christmass and smile and gave them a kiss and said I love you and then reteated to my bedroom. When, I think of that wonderful lady and what she has been though and to come out of that with a smile in her heart, i smile to my self and think I want to be like her.

This is going to be the best Christmas ever for me! I have a new baby this year to celebrate with. I have been overjoyed to see the look on his face when he saw Santa twice so far! I can't wait till Christmas day to flood him with gifts!

This year Anjie I have played Santa twice - not in the literal sense but in the giving sense. I have not only donated toys to families I didn't know who were in need but we also have a guy where I work who has a daughter and they don't have much money. This man has fallen into hard times where things have happened to him to cause some financial devistation around the holiday. He was telling us one morning of how he and his daughter went shopping for gifts for others and she was upset because she couldn't buy any and her father told her it would be a slim Christmas and that they had to get for others first. So Anjie, My co-workers have not only given him a gift card to Walmart but I have also picked up a bunch of toys on my own, I will wrap them and he will be receiving them tomorrow to give to his daughter for Christmas. (I just hope she likes the! gifts). That is my little "miracle".......

I share this story because it's indicative of the "freelancer" spirit.
People I didn't know well reached out to our family in a time of need, and
helped our family through a time of crisis. It may be longer than what you
were hoping for, but it's our story! Every Christmas I'm reminded of our
experience.

Christmas for our family nine years ago started out quite typical--but it
didn't end up that way. We were fairly new to the community where we were
living, as my husband had just finished his first semester in grad school,
working towards an advanced degree. My husband and I had been up late,
finishing up the wrapping duties, etc. He hadn't been feeling well, and
thought he had a sinus infection. After opening presents on Christmas
morning, and having our traditional brunch, my husband went upstairs to
take a nap. I played downstairs with our two girls, then 3 1/2 and 1 1/2
years old. Around lunchtime I went upstairs because I was tired, and it was
"my turn" for a nap.

I found my husband, unconscious, and barely breathing. I called my
next-door neighbor, and 9-1-1. The paramedics, police, and fire dept. all
showed up rather quickly. My neighbor had already whisked the girls next
door before they knew what was happening. The authorities kept asking me
if my husband was despondent(being Christmas day), and they were trying to
ascertain if he had taken any drugs or alcohol. (we don't drink, nor do we
do drugs!) Within minutes they had him in the back of the ambulance, and I
was in front. Weird to watch the paramedics work feverishly to help my
husband as we rushed to the hospital.

Once we arrived at the hospital, I was sent off to a quieter waiting area,
and happened to run into my neighbor--there with a daughter who happened to
have an ear infection. It seemed like an eternity to me, but they finally
came to speak with me, and as a nurse led me down the hallway to intensive
care, with a FIRM grip on my arm it was if she was afraid I might fall
over. I wasn't prepared to see the state of my husband, hooked up to so
many tubes and such. Within a short period of time they had determined to
life-flight him to a larger hospital about 35 miles away. I later found
out they did not invite me to ride along in the helicopter because they did
not expect him to survive the trip. We were still there when someone
encouraged me to contact his parents, if possible. It hit me that this was
pretty serious.

A victim's advocate drove me to the other hospital. I've never been
thrilled with hospitals, and I will never forget the pit in my stomach as
we rode up the elevator to the intensive care floor. As the neurosurgeon
was explaining his condition,and all the possibilities, I almost fainted.
It was evening, and I hadn't really eaten anything since breakfast. All
they knew was my husband had experienced some sort of brain bleed, and they
needed to drain the excess fluid and blood--a bedside procedure.

The victim's advocate stayed with me until later that evening, when a
couple from our church showed up. I didn't even know them by name at the
time. They left their teenage children on Christmas Day to come stay with
me in the hospital and help me in any way. In the wee hours of the morning
my husband's parents arrived. They lived in another state and had driven
straight through as soon as they had heard the news. My mother arrived on
a flight the next day. Time seemed to move so slowly for me those first
days.

My husband condition improved--slightly--but he remained in intensive care
for about ten days. They continued with additional tests, including MRI's
and an angiogram, but his brain was still seizing--so all we could do was
wait. He was in the hospital for the rest of December and into the new
year. Over those weeks so many friends reached out to help. I was so
impressed with the nursing staff, particularly in intensive care. They
deal with crises every day they show up for work. Friends helped with the
girls, and others volunteered to drive me to the hospital so I could relax
for a short time each day. Someone else arranged to "break into my home"
for a cleaning spree. Later on, meals were brought in, which allowed me to
spend more time with my husband. Friends and family all over the country
offered prayers of faith.

January 31 my husband was readmitted to the hospital for more tests, and
they discovered an aneurysm off the carotid artery. His aneurysm must have
leaked, because most people that have an aneurysm--especially a brain or
heart--rarely make it to the hospital. They scheduled him for brain surgery
the next morning, to clip the artery.

There were many long nights, and details I've omitted. To make a long story
short, the surgery went well. My husband was home from the hospital about
a week later, and friends, fellow students, and family continued to help
with the kids, meals, and other needs. He recovered in record time, and was
given a clean bill of health about six months later.

We later had the chance to meet a couple of the paramedics that initially
responded to our emergency, and to thank them, personally. The following
Christmas we drove to the hospital with bagels, snacks, etc. for the
hospital staff on the neuro and intensive care floors. We do count our
blessings each Christmas, and are thankful that our Christmas crisis turned
into our family miracle. It's so simple to do small things for someone in
need, but it is sooooo appreciated when you happen to be on the receiving
end. My husband is here, thanks to the incredible medical personnel that
worked with him, and the prayers offered in our behalf.