The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity. First was the move from Raleigh, NC to Atlanta, Georgia....only to find out there was no room at the inn. At that point I realized I would have never fit the bill to be the Savior's mother because all my sage advice about being positive went straight out the window. Once we were unpacked it was time to throw some duds in a bag, stuff Runtly, the ever so entertaining Jack Russell Terrier, into his crate...again...and head north on Interstate 75.
Juan, my husband's co-worker, had traveled the miles to the peach state with us, following the work. Juan's cousin, Pablo, had made the decision to stay behind and stay closer to family. My husband told me that since Juan would be alone for the Christmas weekend, he was going to ask him if he would like to join us for the trip to Illinois and share Christmas with our families. Juan gladly accepted the invitation and under the cover of a starlit sky, we sped out of Atlanta before the majority of its populous had awakened.
We had three Christmas events to attend in two days. The first was Christmas Eve, when we celebrate with my husbands' family. We always hosted this event, but since there is a new family living under our Bird City roof, we thought they might not be prepared if thirty some odd people showed up at the front door, unannounced. My husband's youngest niece stepped up to the plate and boldly went where she had never been before and took the family gathering challenge. She handled it like she had been doing this sort of thing for ever.
After the meal was served, the family gathered in the front room and the gifts were distributed. The look on Juan's face, when he was handed a brightly wrapped package, was priceless. The tradition for this bunch is to start the unwrapping with the youngest member going first. As each person took their turn, age wise, it came time for Juan to open his. He had been standing just inside the doorway to the adjoining room. Juan stepped inside the room full of people he had just met and began to speak. Silence fell across the room and every ear was tuned into his story. Juan thanked everyone for inviting him and for treating him like he was family. He then told how much he missed his own family and his two little bambinos. I watched as tears began to fill his eyes, and then I turned to look at the rest of family........ there was not a dry eye in the place.
Everywhere we went, there was an unexpected gift waiting for Juan. When we arrived back in Georgia, early in the evening of the 26th, we told Juan how glad we were, that he had gone with us. He told us that was the very first time, in his life, that he had received a gift at a Christmas gathering where all the family actually showed up. He followed that statement up with this one....."It was the greatest time of my life!"
May we find true treasure and blessings in the small things in life.
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