The Christmas Miracle

Each one of you is amazing!  We have raised over 15000$ helping to support two amazing people!  At present Bobby is still patiently waiting, waiting, waiting.... but it is the prayers and support of each one of you that makes this journey possible. 

I thought perhaps today, I would tell you the story of a miracle, perhaps to inspire hope and a miracle for Bobby and Barbara....  See, every year in our family Bobby and Barbara host THE FAMILY CHRISTMAS PARTY.  It's truly the event of the year.  Its a family affair with several generations of relatives and extremely close friends.  There is amazing food prepared by all.  There are special gifts for all the kids, lovingly chosen by Aunt Barb, gift exchanges for adults, gifts from the favorite niece, and way back when Bobby's parents Willis AKA "Pop" and Mary were alive, there was at least one bottle of Old Overholt or Jim Beam under the tree.

So, one year long, long ago, at 801 Seville, Pop was sitting in his official recliner at the party.  The gift giving was in full swing.  Kids were opening gifts, wrapping paper was piling up and laughter was heard everywhere.  As gifts were being handed out there was a special one just for Pop... He slowly opened it up, held it high and proclaimed "Jim Beam, now that's sippin' whiskey!"  His eyes were twinkling like Santa.  The men in the room laughed knowingly and took the bottle from him for safe keeping.  As the gift giving continued another similarly wrapped package came Pops way.  He opened this one, addressed from a neighbor in Connecticut, held it high and repeated "More Sippin Whiskey!"  This bottle too was removed for "safe keeping."  Over the next hour of gift exchanges Pop had the good fortune of opening several more of these bottles.  Some cleverly wrapped in trash bags, recycled gift wrap or barely wrapped at all.  They were from a myriad of givers, the pets in the family, long lost relatives, deceased relatives, neighbors from long ago... magically, mysteriously, miraculously, Pop received over 10 bottles of Jim Beam that night.  Never once did he notice that the wrapping was recycled or that when the bottle was taken by the men it was quickly brought to the kitchen.  When he went to bed his dreams were full of good sippin whiskey he could enjoy for years to come.

The next morning in the the kitchen all one could hear was doors opening and closing, cabinets being searched and muttering about "where the heck are those bottles?"  All of us just remained in our beds, laughing.... knowing.... there would be no more than one bottle of sippin whiskey found.... That is all there was that night.... One bottle of Jim Beam wrapped and addressed 10 different ways.....  The Christmas Miracle was that Pop never knew what the men were up to that night... and that we have a story to tell.

This is a story that is still told each year at the family Christmas party.  We all laugh and remember when.  This year we did not have a chance to have our family party... Things were a bit different... But next year, when Uncle Bob is breathing easier with his new lungs we are going to have an amazing time and toast to Pop, Bobby, Barbara, and all of you for the miracle of life and of breath.