A Christmas Story
I write so infrequently anymore on the lit sites that I am feeling rusty (that sounds weird...see what I mean?).
Last year, at this time I was in South Carolina at my Dad's bedside, away from Cecil and Nathan for the first Christmas ever. Dad was not expected to make it and I needed to be there...He beat the odds or had a miracle or something akin to that. He believes in angels, not just believes in angels but believes he has one that personally takes care of him. What do I know? I don't think he lies about her and as far as I can figure, he doesn't lie about anything to me so he must have an angel. I don't believe in angels but I don't disbelieve in angels either so I guess you could say I am on the angel fence, between belief and disbelief. I can state that there were some strange goings on at that time. For instance, a pure white pigeon used to perch above the hospital door that we used for our comings and goings to visit Dad. She was hard to ignore and showed no fear of the humans that frequented the place. The security guards that patrolled the grounds had taken to feeding and watering her and even given her a name, "Noel". Dad was having one crisis after another, in and out of consciousness. Noel was like a signal, a sign of some sort, at least it seemed that way. She was a symbol of peace, a white dove at the doorway, watching over us as we came and went. One day a guard said she had seen a hawk attack her and found some white feathers on the ground. Noel disappeared for a few days...We assumed she was dead but low and behold, she showed up again, feathers intact, at the doorway with her black, beady eyes cast our way as Dad continued to hang on to a thin thread of life.
The doctors were realistic, all along telling our family that the odds were great that Dad was not going to make it through this crisis. Dad talked, when he could, telling tales of his childhood and his experiences in life, he wasn't eating and barely drinking anything but he would create recipes of a great dinner party with many courses starting with oxtail soup and a fine wine. He asked me one time, when we were alone and Mom and my brother had gone home to get some rest..."What would you do if you met a savior?" I was rather taken aback at the question and the insistence in his weak voice. "come on, answer the question, WHAT would you do if you met a savior?!" I replied that I didn't know, fumbling for words of what I deemed an moment of import. "You know what I would do?", he asked smiling. "I would walk up to him, introduce myself and ask him to join me in a beer and Chile rellenos." Hah!
Dad made it, he beat all the odds, he always has. He told me that he was ready for one more round and I know that he will savor every moment, his angel on his shoulder. I am sure that this will be a special Christmas for him and by the way, he now has his own blog so check it out: http://almandbob2.blogspot.com
My Christmas will be merry, I hope yours is too.
SooZen
Last year, at this time I was in South Carolina at my Dad's bedside, away from Cecil and Nathan for the first Christmas ever. Dad was not expected to make it and I needed to be there...He beat the odds or had a miracle or something akin to that. He believes in angels, not just believes in angels but believes he has one that personally takes care of him. What do I know? I don't think he lies about her and as far as I can figure, he doesn't lie about anything to me so he must have an angel. I don't believe in angels but I don't disbelieve in angels either so I guess you could say I am on the angel fence, between belief and disbelief. I can state that there were some strange goings on at that time. For instance, a pure white pigeon used to perch above the hospital door that we used for our comings and goings to visit Dad. She was hard to ignore and showed no fear of the humans that frequented the place. The security guards that patrolled the grounds had taken to feeding and watering her and even given her a name, "Noel". Dad was having one crisis after another, in and out of consciousness. Noel was like a signal, a sign of some sort, at least it seemed that way. She was a symbol of peace, a white dove at the doorway, watching over us as we came and went. One day a guard said she had seen a hawk attack her and found some white feathers on the ground. Noel disappeared for a few days...We assumed she was dead but low and behold, she showed up again, feathers intact, at the doorway with her black, beady eyes cast our way as Dad continued to hang on to a thin thread of life.
The doctors were realistic, all along telling our family that the odds were great that Dad was not going to make it through this crisis. Dad talked, when he could, telling tales of his childhood and his experiences in life, he wasn't eating and barely drinking anything but he would create recipes of a great dinner party with many courses starting with oxtail soup and a fine wine. He asked me one time, when we were alone and Mom and my brother had gone home to get some rest..."What would you do if you met a savior?" I was rather taken aback at the question and the insistence in his weak voice. "come on, answer the question, WHAT would you do if you met a savior?!" I replied that I didn't know, fumbling for words of what I deemed an moment of import. "You know what I would do?", he asked smiling. "I would walk up to him, introduce myself and ask him to join me in a beer and Chile rellenos." Hah!
Dad made it, he beat all the odds, he always has. He told me that he was ready for one more round and I know that he will savor every moment, his angel on his shoulder. I am sure that this will be a special Christmas for him and by the way, he now has his own blog so check it out: http://almandbob2.blogspot.com
My Christmas will be merry, I hope yours is too.
SooZen
posted by SooZen | 6:56 AM
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