Joy of Country Living

We think of Christmas as the season for Miracles and Hope – and as such wanted to share an email I received. I don’t know if this is a true story or not but it is touching.  

And, I do have a true miracle story of my own I want to share with you this Christmas season, so please read all the way to the end of  ‘Sarah and Santa’ to read about my personal Christmas miracle.

Dec. 23, 2011 – Received the following comment from  Susan Leonard  and wanted to give credit where credit is due…

I found your blog via a Google search. I am Susan Leonard, the author of the story “The Christmas Miracle,” as told to me by my husband Mark Leonard aka Santa Mark. Yes, it IS a true story. Our story has been shared and republished all over the internet, and I would appreciate that you credited the source. Hope you have a very blessed Christmas!

“Sarah & Santa”

Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to see Santa at the Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin.. The child climbed up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl.

“Who is this?” asked Santa, smiling. “Your friend? Your sister?’”

“Yes, Santa,’ he replied. “My sister, Sarah, who is very sick,” he said sadly.

Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. “She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much,

Santa!” the child exclaimed. “She misses you,” he added softly. Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the boy’s face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him for Christmas.

When they finished their visit, the Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and started to say something to Santa, but halted.

“What is it?” Santa asked warmly.

“Well, I know it’s really too much to ask you, Santa, but …” the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one of Santa’s elves to collect the little gift which Santa gave all his young visitors. “The girl in the photograph …. my granddaughter well, you see … she has leukemia and isn’t expected to make it even through the holidays,” she said through tear-filled eyes.

“Is there any way, Santa, any possible way that you could come see Sarah?

That’s all she’s asked for, Christmas, is to see Santa.”

Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was, and he would see what he could do. Santa thought

of little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he had to do. “What if it were MY child lying in that hospital bed, dying,” he thought with a sinking heart, “This is the least I can do.”

When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant location manager how to get to Children’s Hospital.

“Why?” Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.

Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah’s grandmother earlier that day.

“C’mon … I’ll take you there.” Rick said softly. Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale Rick said he would wait out in the hall. Santa quietly peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and the girl’s brother he had met earlier that day. A woman whom he guessed was Sarah’s mother stood by the bed, gently pushing Sarah’s thin hair off her forehead. And another woman who he discovered later was Sarah’s aunt, sat in a chair near the bed with a weary, sad look on her face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and forcing a smile on his face,

Santa entered the room, bellowing a hearty, “Ho, ho, ho!”

“Santa!” shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes intact. Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child the tender age of his own son — 9 years old — gazed up at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and he had to force himself to choke back tears… Though his eyes were riveted upon Sarah’s face, he could hear the gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the bedside one by one, squeezing Santa’s shoulder or his hand gratefully, whispering “Thank you” as they gazed sincerely at him with shining eyes. Santa and Sarah talked and talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted for Christmas, assuring him she’d been a very good girl that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for permission from the girl’s mother. She nodded in agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah’s

bed, holding hands.. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and asked her if she believed in angels.

“Oh, yes, Santa … I do!” she exclaimed.

“Well, I’m going to ask that angels watch over you.” he said. Laying one hand on the child’s head, Santa closed his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started singing, softly, “Silent Night, Holy Night … all is calm, all is bright ….”  “The family joined in, still holding hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all.

When the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and held Sarah’s frail, small hands in his own. “Now, Sarah,” he said authoritatively, “you have a job to do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time next year!”

He knew it was risky proclaiming that to this little girl who had terminal cancer, but he ‘had’ to. He had to give her the greatest gift he could — not dolls or games or toys — but the gift of HOPE.

“Yes, Santa!” Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the room… Out in the hall, the minute Santa’s eyes met Rick’s,

a look passed between them and they wept unashamed. Sarah’s mother and grandmother slipped out of the room quickly and rushed to Santa’s side to thank him.

“My only child is the same age as Sarah,” he explained quietly. “This is the least I could do.” They nodded with understanding and hugged him.

One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child came up to sit on his lap. “Hi, Santa! Remember me?!”

“Of course, I do,” Santa proclaimed (as he always does), smiling down at her. After all, the secret to being a “good” Santa is to always make each child feel as if they are the “only” child in the world at that moment.

“You came to see me in the hospital last year!”

Santa’s jaw dropped…. Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this little miracle and held her to his chest. “Sarah!” he exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was long and silky and her cheeks were rosy — much different from the little girl he had visited just a year before. He looked over and saw Sarah’s mother and grandmother in the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes. That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus.

He had witnessed –and been blessed to be instrumental in bringing about — this miracle of hope.. This precious little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well. He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered, “Thank you, Father. ‘This a very, Merry Christmas!”

My Christmas Miracle concerns my Dad who had been diagnosed with cancer. He had gone through surgery and the doctors told him that sadly there was nothing more they could do. As it was about a couple of weeks before Christmas, the doctors said they were going to release him from the hospital earlier than normal so he could get his affairs in order and spend Christmas at home – but they wanted him to come back to the hospital after the holidays.   We were all so happy to have this time together – even as it was.

There weren’t a lot of gifts that year but it is the one Christmas I remember most.   After the Christmas holiday, my Dad returned to MD Anderson as requested.  However, when the blood tests  came back, the doctors were baffled  - they could find no trace of his cancer. With that they were going to release him, but asked if he would mind coming in for additional tests so they could see if they could determine  what had ‘cured’  him – which of course he did. Did they find the answers they were looking for?   I don’t know – and call it what you will - but my Mom, my Dad and I all knew this was a Christmas Miracle and the best gift  we would ever receive. 

Now for a bit of Hope. It would seem that a treatment - cure – for cancer… any cancer… is on the horizon. My understanding of the treatment is that it takes nanoparticles of metal (gold) which attach themselves to the cancer cells and once this is done – radio waves are used to explode the metal particles destroying the cancer cells. It is an amazing process and if you would like to read more about it please visit this link….. http://www.glennbeck.com/2011/12/09/cure-for-cancer-near/

Can you believe it? Less than 3 weeks to Christmas!! Fortunately we’re doing pretty good this year with staying ahead – gifts are bought and Eggnog Ice Cream  is made – as well as a batch of my favorite ‘P’ candy (pecan pralines). Have to admit it’s a good thing I only make both of these once a year. I have no control when it comes to sneaking a snack.

We’ve also been busy weather-proofing the house, deck kitchen and well house. It’s pretty chilly today – 38 degrees, windy and overcast – so, glad we’ve basically finished with that chore. David and I spent about an hour last weekend (while it was still warm) wrapping the pipes at the well house and hooking up the light we keep turned on to help keep the temperature up. (It is amazing that having that one light bulb burning down there makes a significant difference.) You may or may not remember a couple years back one of the pipes coming from the large tank holding the water burst and it was a mess. Still need to cover the faucets inside the well house with those styrofoam covers – but that part is easy.

Checked out the fish in the ‘gold fish’ pond on the way back to the house and could only see one of them (the big white one) – the other two (the Shubunkins) are hiding in the cinder block holes and haven’t seen them in days.

Had an unusual situation that had us going, so I wanted to pass along a bit of information in case any of you out there find yourself experiencing a similar occurrence. That being our Roku would not work the other day – after having been working perfectly the day before.

To refresh – the Roku is the wireless device we use to stream Netflix and other shows, i.e., via Hulu, etc. through our Internet connection enabling us to watch them on our television set. I’m not very knowledgeable about electronics, but my understanding was that the Roku couldn’t connect to the Internet via the wireless Netgear ‘modem’.   So, David re-booted both the Internet and the Netgear ‘modem’. Still nothing. Since we knew everything had been working the day before – we got to thinking . . . . has anything changed? Yes, it had! David had installed wireless security cameras and set up the monitors in the office – same room as where the Netgear ‘modem’ sits.   Wasn’t sure, but thought this might be the culprit, so he unplugged the security system and then tried the Roku again. Had to go through the whole ‘set-up’ program, but suffice it to say – everything started working. Apparently there was a conflict… you think …. between the two wireless systems. We now disconnect the security monitors and wireless receiver when we want to watch the Roku and re-connect them when we’re through. Catch is – you have to disconnect the security equipment before you turn on the Roku to avoid having to go through the set-up process every time. Lesson learned.

Now for the feathers. We went shopping in Bryan-College Station last week. This usually means a stop by the Harbor Freight store – can you say tools?   Anyway, I thought for a change I’d check out the Steinmart next door while David strolled the HF aisles. I hadn’t been in a Steinmart since we left Houston and thought it might be interesting to see what the ‘new’ styles were for the season. On entering, I was met at the door by tables over flowing with ‘recommended’ Christmas gifts – everything from jeweled picture frames to boxes of chocolate pretzels. Made my way through all of this to the ladies clothing department. Now, I don’t know if I’m becoming an old ‘fuddy-duddy’, or maybe I just don’t like change – but, for some reason, couldn’t see myself in any of the clothes there. Then a vest caught my eye. Let me first say – I like vests; they are so versatile – and, they had every kind of vest for sale you might imagine. However, one in particular held my attention. Normally, when you see a vest with a fancy trim – it is just along the collar, so it’s not so over powering. Right? Not this vest – it was totally made from feathers – you know the kind, those small little feathers you might find hiding under the bigger ones.  Pin feathers maybe???  And, for some reason, all I could think of was a turkey. Could have been the color – brownish-tan with a little black. I thought to myself, “so this is where all the feathers go”.   I’m sure on the right person it would be stunning but . . . how you would clean it . . . or what it would smell like if it got wet or damp. Have to confess I did not check the back of the vest – it may have been fabric . . . guess I’ll never know now.

Another thing, while there I went shopping for a new insulated tumbler we could use in the car. Found one I thought would be perfect . .. but on reading the instructions it cautioned ‘to let hot liquids cool before putting the cap on’. Couldn’t see the value in buying that one . . . so after striking out twice – just turned around and left.  Ended up spending the rest of the time with David in the Harbor Freight store where I found him inspecting  the items on the power saw aisle.  And for those that might wonder….. no he didn’t buy anything!

I find the year coming to an end to be somewhat maudlin – taking a peek back at what was accomplished during the previous eleven months, what wasn’t accomplished, loved ones no longer with us and whether I’m  happy with my life in general.   I can definitely answer ‘Yes’ to this last question – but could I have made it better?   Sometimes I think life is like the old saying  . . . can’t see the forest for the trees . . . that’s when I stop and consider what’s important…. really important.  Family, friends, helping others and being kind – and yes, this includes being kind to myself.   While I think ‘age’  has quite a lot to do with this, the following was sent to me (what you see is what I got)  and I think it pretty well sums up how I want to live my life.  Hope you find it thought provoking – and don’t miss next weeks post – I’m going to give you my opinion as to what happens to all those turkey feathers!!! 

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY… IT’S PRETTY PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven’t thought about it, don’t have it on their schedule, didn’t know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back. From then on, I’ve tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn’t suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word ‘refrigeration’ mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said , ‘How about going to lunch in a half hour?’ She would gas up and stammer, ‘I can’t. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain’ And my personal favorite: ‘It’s Monday.’ She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches.. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We’ll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Stevie toilet-trained. We’ll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We’ll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of ‘I’m going to,’ ‘I plan on,’ and ‘Someday, when things are settled down a bit.’

When anyone calls my ‘seize the moment’  friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you’re ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Rollerblades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It’s just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now…go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to…not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly’s erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask ‘How are you?’ Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, ‘We’ll do it tomorrow.’ And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say ‘Hi’?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift….Thrown away…. Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

Show your friends how much you care. Send this to everyone you consider a FRIEND including me if you consider me a friend. If it comes back to you, then you’ll know you have a circle of friends.

To those I have sent this to… I cherish our friendship and appreciate all you do. We have some history together.

‘Life may not be the party we hoped for… but while we are here, we might as well dance.

Quick note to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving  – I know we’ll be enjoying our time off with family and friends.

Don’t forget – for those that are looking for sugar free cranberry sauce – you can get my recipe here … Sugar free Cranberry Sauce

And,  if you want a break from traditional pumpkin pie, try this recipe for Sugar free Pumpkin-Pecan-Cheesecake  or get the recipe for making it with sugar - Traditional Pumpkin-Pecan-Cheesecake here - both are delicious . . . you don’t even need a spring-form pan!!