A Christmas Memory

I've been thinking about favorite Christmas memories & traditions. Three years ago, Christmas was boiled down to it's essential elements, and it has stayed with me since! Cecily was in the ICU in Inova Fairfax for three weeks, waiting for surgery and post op on her heart. The ICU was a little sheltered cacoon from the world. I lived in the Ronald McDonald house and the family visited on weekends for three weeks. The house was decorated beautifully for Christmas and different groups came to cook and leave things in the fridge and freezer for families that came in hungry after a long day at the hospital. I stayed by Cecily's bed as long as I could, getting there about five a.m. - just a short walk up the street. I hadn't decorated at home, bought gifts, made cookies, or any of the "normal" Christmas things we did, and I missed the kids very much. At Cecily's bed before surgery, she was in made comfortable with medication by the nurses, but her little face was pale and miserable. There was a radio in the room, so we turned it to 97.1 and sang all Christmas songs. I heard the "Red Shoes" song so many times, I finally turned it off. Then I wandered into the book room and got out the "Little House" books - it's never too early to start those! I read to Cecily while she looked at me through squinty eyes. After the surgery, her eyes opened wide - wow! She looked comfortable. Santa and Mrs. Claus came into the ward. They had arrived in a motorcycle and delivered handmade baby blankets to everyone in the ICU. Santa and Mrs Claus stopped in our room and by their faces I could see that to them Cecily looked very sick. Mrs Claus gave me the blue flannel blanket wrapped in a ribbon and I hugged it to my chest. She smiled softly at me and Cecily, and they went to the next room. The kids came up to make cards for Cecily and visit with me. I walked about a mile to go to CVS pharmacy and got them each a little something for when they came to visit. Again,
everything about Christmas was so real in my heart. It snowed through the large window in the ICU. Just the snow, the quiet room, the sleeping baby, and soft Christmas music playing on the radio. I thought about our Savior and his love for us, and how he had blessed us by allowing Cecily to get well, but that everything was in His hands - letting go and letting him work his miracles was something I learned.
We were able to take her home a few days before Christmas to heal. We would be in the hospital again the day after Christmas, but I was so happy to put Cecily back in her crib. We had no presents purchased for Rhett and I, but the Ronald McDonald house had a room full of them.
I'll write more later - piano student has arrived!