Kindness Comes in All Sorts of Packages

It's Christmas Eve, the most magical night of the year. My nephew, Christopher, and Sam are both tucked into their beds and hopefully dreaming of the wonders tomorrow will bring. I have a quiet moment to myself for the first time today and what a magical day it has been. Today I was reminded of the goodness of humanity, the love the people can share and the reason for the season.
Yes, Christmas to me has always been about love and laughter. Seeing family, tearing open gifts, always looking to see if you put a smile on a person's face because you got them "just what they wanted." But this year, the season has not been as bright for myself and my family. I've watched as my parents have tried to go through the motions and pretend like this year is no different, but it is different. The dark cloud of cancer hangs over all of our heads, refusing to budge, only for moments at a time. But it is as if we get to laughing and carrying on and one of us remembers, wait, there is cancer in the room. We can't have fun or joy at a time like this.
Christmas is a time of celebration and cheer, not moping and silence. I could see that my family was going to struggle through these next few days, and I didn't know how to fix it. Leave it to friends and complete strangers to bring us out of our funk.
I was not very happy again today. I HAD to finish my shopping and decided that today I would wash my hair. I had to fistfuls of it by the time I rinsed it off. When I brushed it, gobs of hair clumped up the brush. I didn't look like me for the first time.
While I was busy feeling sorry for myself, the doorbell rang and my friend Mary appeared. She had called me to ask if she could stop by with her co-worker whom I had never met. His name was Duane and he had a gift for me. Duane is a member of the Temple Guard Motorcycle Club. He works with Mary as a nurse and happened to be the one she cried to when she heard the news of my diagnosis. This man, having never met me, but having heard my story, vowed to help. He made bracelets and appealed to his fellow club members for donations. When he arrived on my doorstep and handed me a check, he told me that the club wanted me to "do something nice for yourself." And it didn't end there. He gave Sam an embroidered personalized hat and made patches for me that say "We got this!" I was overwhelmed by his kindness. This complete stranger just wanted to make a difference in my family's life. He told me that prayers were being said nationwide for me, and that meant more than anything. Duane is proof that there is good in this world, despite what we see and hear on the news. He made our day brighter and brought tears to my eyes.
The goodness didn't stop there. It had only just begun. You see, I had hatched a plan with my neighbor, Mr. Bertrand, to play Santa Claus for my nephew Chris, Sam and my best friend Katie's son Myles. I thought it would be the perfect way to bring back the joy to this house. After all, Mr. Bertrand was the same person who made my Dad string up Christmas lights outside for the first time in years this year, just so I would smile. And smile I did because it got the spirit moving back into this house. Next thing I knew, Mom had bought a Rudolph and Dad was staking it in the ground with an old set of screwdrivers. We were back on track!
But tonight was going to be magical, I just knew it. When that doorbell rang, and those kids ran to the door, it was like I was a little girl again. Mr. Bertrand was dressed to the nines! And I think I squealed at the sight of him too! The kids were in awe of him and he made sure to personalize his talk with everyone of them. Kathryn even FaceTimed with us so she could see him. Santa was sure to tell her that she was on the naughty list!
Santa's elf (Mrs. Bertrand) brought along goodies for all the kids and even the adults (some nice adult beverages). And we all videotaped and flashed our cameras while the kiddies sat and marveled that Santa was in their house! Even Sam got a kick out of it as he sat on his lap and gazed up at his beard.
I looked around and everyone was smiling....even my Dad. In fact, Marty had tears in his eyes. The magic was back, and for a moment no one was thinking about my cancer. We were all little kids again delighting in their innocence and willing to believe along with them. It was a beautiful moment. One I will never forget.
Thank you to all of you near and far who have reached out to us in our time of need, both strangers and friends and family alike. May you have a blessed holiday with family and friends. And may the magic be alive in your house as well. Merry Christmas everyone, don't stop believin'!