Red Guardian Angels

Cardinals have gained quite a heavenly reputation. It seems, based on the gifts we've received after Mom's passing that cardinals are reminders that our loved ones are with us in spirit.

Touching poem. I still think that my dad shows his presence to me when I seen an eagle. But maybe Mom is the pretty cardinal.

I saw this red guardian angel outside my kitchen window tonight. They never sit still long enough for to take a picture. And even though I took it through the dirty window, there's no doubt Red is giving me the side eye to see what I'm up to and make sure I'm doing OK.

I'm hanging in there, Mom. I still have a deck of cards in my car for my next visit. So apparently I'm not quite getting beyond the "hanging in there" yet. 

Thanks for looking out for me! 👼

Guardian Angels

We just can't say enough about the guardian angels in our life right now. We have such generous, caring friends reaching out in our time of sorrow. Even today while we were working from home we had three visitors and two brought gifts they made for us...

A pine bouquet of sorts that has fairy lights in it and an angel we can use as a Christmas ornament. Gorgeous!

And a handcrafted, wood-cut angel ornament with MOM in the center. Beautiful work!

We're blessed. Every day is a little better. Today we were both back in the full swing of work so we were plenty busy focusing our attention elsewhere. 

But it's always good to know you're there for us when we're not as busy. When our minds slow down and little patches of grief sneak in. Thank you for that.

#gratitudemonth

Angels We Have Heard on High

Merry Christmas! You realize it's only the 2nd day of Christmas, right? We can keep saying this another 10 days at least! 

What I like about that has nothing to do with the potential to get 2 turtle doves or 5 golden rings. I liked that in church this morning we got to sing a lot of Christmas hymns. And it was perfectly legal. (By Lutheran standards, anyway.)

Of course, every time we sing about angels, it's both joyous and sad. I think about who I'm missing this holiday season and who my family's missing and who my friends are missing. We're all missing someone this Christmas. And some of those wounds in our hearts are pretty fresh.

This morning, probably around the time early church service folks were singing Angels We Have Heard on High, heaven gained another angel. Hubby lost his 96-year-old aunt. It was pretty much expected, but God waited until she could have her Christmas visitors yesterday – including Jim.

Then God wrapped her in His arms for a big hug. And then I'm sure she pushed Him out of the way to run to her Frank, who she's missed dearly since he died 4 years ago. I'm pretty sure this is why we hear angels from on high. They are rejoicing because they are free from pain and worry. And their hearts are whole again. 

Definitely worth singing sweetly about.

Heaven gained another angel today – one I don't know. What I do know is that thanks to an organ donor somewhere, a kidney became available and our ailing neighbor got the long-awaited call to head to Madison for a transplant. 

Thank you, God, for helping the spirit of our angels live on in others. 

By the way, the angel pictured was a gift from the Emily Klopotek Angel Foundation. Somebody (who I know is reading this and I love you) nominated me for being kind in such a way that I keep my sweet Emily's kind spirit alive. I'm humbled and blessed.

It's a perfect reminder that no small act of kindness goes unnoticed. Whether it's taking an elderly aunt grocery shopping or putting an orange dot sticker on your license or just opening the door for someone. Your small act can be a huge deal to others. 

I think that makes us all angels-in-training at least. 

Bless you this Christmas season. Sending hugs to those of you who need it.

 

Signs of New Hope

This could really be a depressing segment of our "dash" – that space between our beginning and end dates - if we let it be. We could focus on the sickness, death, mental and financial despair happening globally.

Or we could focus on the fact that, for many of us, the pace of our lives has slowed, allowing us to finally catch a much-needed breath. We see opportunities to dispose of the old – habits, material things, nonessential obligations – and in with the new – opportunities to improve ourselves, our relationships, maybe mend some of our broken parts, seize signs of hope, and be grateful.

I took a 4-mile walk yesterday to cleanse my soul and sinuses. It just happens to be exactly two miles from my doorstep to my angel Emily's grave. I've gotten that route down over the past two years. I was feeling this need to talk to her for some reason.

On the way there, I passed by a farm where a newborn calf was attempting to stand up on her wobbly legs for the first time. I couldn't stop staring and thinking even though we feel like the world is standing still right now, life does keep going on. And there are miracles every day.

When I got to the cemetery, I immediately noticed a single daffodil was blooming by Em's grave. Another sign of new life. This made me smile and broke my heart at the same time.

I don't know what is about visiting with this girl, but the floodgates open in 10 seconds or less and I am sobbing. I think I unknowingly bottle up sadness and stress over time and this dancing angel allows me to let it go. Even if it's not all about her. I know for a fact that much of it this week is about the one-year anniversary tomorrow of our friend Greg's death. But she just lets me let it out.

You know how freeing that feels? It's like a weight lifted from my shoulders. My tear ducts, nasal passages, and mind are clear. And open to hope again. Open to listen.

As per usual in our conversations, I spill my regrets that I couldn't help her. I couldn't save her from her tragic end. Yesterday, in that tiny window of time when my heart and mind were still, she let me know it wasn't too late. I could still help others if I can find a way through my words to tell the similar parts of my own story. And my survival.

I think I've known this for a long time, but my sweet dancing queen knows a thing or two about timing. There's no such thing as being "too busy" right now, is there? Just need to be brave enough to expose my scars and let them tell their stories.

If it gets too overwhelming, I'll visit my little Em (or just M, if she's a he) for inspiration. Thanks, angel.

On a Positive Note...

For the record, I have not been avoiding talk of the Vikings' loss. I've just been too busy celebrating!

Have you heard the wonder-SKOL news? Hubby and I are going to heaven! Not today, mind you.

Hey, I gotta look at the positive. Plus, with football behind me, now I can start to look forward to spring. And, knowing I'm going to heaven no matter what I do, I might as well blow off my New Year's resolutions... before I even make them.

Figure if I don't make them, I can't break them.

See how life as a Vikings fan has turned me into a heathen? Yeah, I'm beyond help. And lucky for you, I don't plan on changing.

#skol #heavencanwait

Winging It

Today's column for the church bulletin, based on our Gospel reading from Luke 20:27: 2

Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question. “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

Calling all angels

My first thought after reading today’s Gospel passage is thank goodness we don’t live in Biblical times. That story about that widow who outlived those seven brothers? What if it was the other way around and the man was the widow who had to remarry and remarry and so on and so on? I can’t imagine my husband would follow the law if he was forced to marry the seven sisters in my family. Uhm, no.

I used to tell him how lucky he was that he got the “normal” one. That argument doesn’t carry as much weight anymore. Not sure why. He says I’m an angel – always up in the air, harping about something.

Full disclosure: He’s a wonderful man. I just don’t always get his sense of humor!

Thankfully, we can find comfort in knowing that God isn’t going to judge us as a married versus non-married person. Or as a harping wife versus a loving wife. Those who have gone before us “are like angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.”

Last Sunday, when we lit candles for the loved ones we’ve lost this past year, we considered them saints. Maybe they didn’t live perfect lives. Maybe they were far from perfect individuals. But we know in our hearts that they are saints. They are loved children of God. And they are in the arms of the angels.

We still cry when we think of them because we miss them. We miss the light they brought in our lives. A light that could outshine those little candles a hundredfold.

Thanks, God, for keep their light. For holding them in Your tender care until we see them again.

Thanks, too, for being my wing man when this angel’s harp gets a little out of tune.

Thank God Guardian Angels Work Sundays

It was probably not coincidence that both hubby and I were in our respective churches and praying for our loved ones between 8-9 a.m. today. At least one of them for sure needed our prayers.

And thank God guardian angels work on Sundays to answer!

I needed a little help myself when I answered the phone and my baby says there was a bad accident but he was OK. After my heart stopped for a moment, it was thumping so loud in my chest I wasn't sure if I was hearing him right or getting all the details. But he said he'd call me back later as he was currently in an ambulance getting checked over.

Raise your hand if any of you other parents are having a panic attack with me!

Needless to say, we hit the road by 10 a.m. and headed to Platteville. Our boy was still shook up when we got there 3 hours later, which was some 5 hours after the crash. Here's what unfolded in the dense this morning...

Carter was headed to work in Potosi. It was so foggy, he missed the turn he usually makes for a shortcut. That's why the stop sign up ahead took him by surprise and why he had to slam on his brakes. But couldn't make the stop before colliding with a van coming from his right.

In a split second, airbags deployed (thank goodness) while the van sheared off the front of his car and then rolled over, landing on its wheels, and the old Civic spun around to the opposite side of the intersection, losing most of the contents of its front end. Both vehicles are totaled.

Yet somehow, the family in the van and Carter were all able to walk away with no injuries. I know he'll be sore from the seatbelt and airbag, but nothing is broken. He still can't believe it and neither can we. Especially after we went to the tow yard to get his belongings out of the car.

Viewer discretion advised here. It's a pretty scary sight for this mom to handle anyway.

Where is the front end?!

Random Civic parts picked up off the road and stored for towing.

The front bumper, etc, in the back seat.

The total, totaled package.

What a mess. And what a miracle. So grateful to God that all involved are OK. That Carter appreciates the miracle and the lesson to not take life for granted for one split second. And that we could gently hug some of the fear and stress out of our baby.

And feed him pizza.

Thank God guardian angels AND pizza makers work on Sundays. Just as I concluded my blog last night: Countin' my blessings!

Special Angels in the Outfield

It was a special day at the ballpark for my friends who lost their daughter last year, just a few months before her high school graduation. It was Emily's decision to leave this world. But it was her family and friends' decision to keep her memory alive through a foundation that helps people who need certain kinds of help but can't afford it.

Today was a fundraiser for the Emily Klopotek Angel Foundation at the Timber Rattlers stadium in Appleton. We called it Angels in the Outfield.

And look at all these angels! There about 80 or so pictured here but more than a hundred showed their support. How wonderful!

And the sun was shining, too, so Emily's mom and I knew Em was smiling down on us.

Our large group was acknowledged on the jumbo-tron, too. I guess that officially makes us amazing. Hats off to all the organizers for putting together the tailgating ahead of time, the game tickets (and Timber Rattler victory), and gorgeous weather!

As a bonus, It was a nice date day with hubby. That's two days in a row we were seen together! Thank you, angels for aligning the stars – and our calendars.

If you want to learn more about the Emily Klopotek Angel Foundation, visit https://chiton-orange-dwkc.squarespace.com/ or message me. 

Guardian Angels

I should have known God was sending guardian angels my way today. As always, when we sing How Great Thou Art in church I can feel my dad's presence – and Grandma Hedberg's too!

I distinctly remember that song from her funeral – the first time I ever saw my dad cry. So I always, always, always without fail tear up when I hear or sing that hymn. Today was no exception. And we did need at least one of my angels later.

After doing a senior photo shoot, hubby and I and the neighbors headed to the Wisconsin River to kayak. When we made plans last night, we envisioned a hot, sunny, lazy paddle today. Well, we did have humidity. But it was cloudy and storms were forecast for late afternoon/early evening. We figured heading out at 1:30 p.m., we'd be good.

It didn't take long before we heard rumblings. We hoped maybe it was one of the nearby paper mills, but it sure sounded a lot like thunder. We checked the radar on our phones and the storms were a few hours away. So we kept paddling.

And no, these two are not the guardian angels. From a distance, they looked like eagles but, of course, they're not. We're thinking just your ordinary hawks. Because don't osprey have more white on them? This River Babe should know this stuff by now!

When we looked up and saw what we thought were two eagles flying and fighting a bit. It turned out to be an eagle showing a lesser bird (again, a hawk?) that he means business. Wow.

And this guy did not build this nest. He's a squatter. The nest has been around awhile and we've seen eagles by it. There really must be some territory wars going on. Like the calm before the storm.

Speaking of calm, I did manage to get a few lily pad shots before we realized the storm was moving in more quickly than projected.

As we turned the corner at the west end of Big Island, we saw jagged streaks of lightning in the distance (we hoped) going straight down from cloud to ground. That's when our weather guides said it was going to hit in less than half an hour. And there is no way, even paddling our butts off, that we could make it back to the boat landing in 30 minutes. More like an hour!

So we paddled toward the opposite shore where we thought there was a boat landing. We had hoped our friends' son could meet us there and get Mike at least to the truck at the other boat landing so he could come back and get us. Well their son wasn't answering his phone. But we were paddling alright.

Nothing says "paddle faster" like lightning bolts when you're on the river.

When we got across to the landing area, there wasn't a shore area to disembark. Just giant rocks. We are lucky none of us tipped getting out. As luck would have it – or as the powers that be would have it – there was a guardian angel on shore. A man had stopped to either watch the lightning or maybe he saw us. I don't know. But he gave Mike a ride down to his truck. It was lightning pretty good by the time Mike got back to us with his truck. And the clouds were darkening.

We got loaded up quickly and made it down the road about 3 minutes before the rain hit. And hit hard.

Whew.

We definitely needed those hours of rain, that's for sure. Just so grateful we had angels making sure we could safely watch the storm from our living rooms.

How great Thou art, indeed!

Good and Plenty

My day was full but in a good way. A great way! Plenty going on and each important in their own way.

Had Book Club at 9 a.m. at the coffee shop. Always great to spend a few hours with my girlfriends! Then it was off to shoot a senior portrait session. This kid has such a ready, easy smile that it was an awesome shoot. Even got to the baseball field for a few frames. And opportunities for creativity.

Cam was so cooperative that we managed to get photos in three locations in less than 2 hours!

Had just enough time to sort through them and then get ready to go to Appleton. I picked up my friend Cindy and we went to a fundraiser for the memorial fund established in honor of my girl Emily. 

The Empowerment and Body Positivity Art Gallery and Silent Auction – featuring items like the one above – had art for sale plus raffle baskets. All proceeds will go to the Emily Klopotek Angel Foundation, who mission is to provide financial support to those experiencing barriers to eating disorder treatment.

I feel blessed to be a part of the process of getting this going. With the logo I designed and the opportunity to show support for my friends, we're all helping each other heal.

Cindy and I were glad it worked out that we could over there today. It was good for us to spend time together, too, with a yummy dinner and plenty of time to talk in the car. Plus a nice campfire at home on our return.

Busy days aren't bad when you're doing things important to you, your heart and soul.

The Angst Over Angels

For as many times as I've seen depictions of the winged cherubim like those in Raphael's Madonna painting, it's never crossed my mind that angels that look like children could actually represent children in heaven.

I was sadly reminded of this today.

As if there hasn't been enough needless tragedy in central Wisconsin lately, the first news of the morning was of an apparent double homicide-suicide in Wisconsin Rapids – that occurred while most of us were in bed sleeping and possibly dreaming of angels.

As details were released throughout the day, we learned a father had apparently shot and killed his two young children before turning the gun on himself. To reiterate my despair yesterday, it just sickens my heart when a child is taken too soon for any reason. But to be taken in such a violent nature is incomprehensible.

I can't conceive a situation or circumstance where a child deserves to be harmed. But I do know that not everyone is equipped with appropriate coping mechanisms. In a perfect world, people would seek help instead of choosing to harm others or themselves. But we don't live in that perfect world.

We live in a world where a 3-year-old boy angel and 5-year-old girl angel were sent to heaven with their father today while their mother, grandparents, other family and friends, are forced to stay on Earth ... and grieve and endure a pain like no other.

It's sad that I know so many people connected to this family and this tragedy. I am reminded that a city of 20,000 can still be a small town. An isolated event can impact so many.

Can there be a positive from such pain? Possibly. If it can call attention to all the resources available to people who need help, maybe it can prevent further tragedies down the road. I pray that will be the case. This is just been too much in such a short period of time.

I think even God has a shed a tear. I can't blame Him.

In more ways than one, we can't blame Him.

Advent by Angel-light

And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. – Luke 1:35

Each year, to launch the Advent season, our church holds an "Advent by Candelight" event for the ladies of the congregation and special guests. Several women host a table by elegantly decorating it for 8 place settings, including candles, of course. I sat at my friend Chris' table, which was beautiful!

Typically, we enjoy some hors d'oeuvres to start off and then sit at the pretty tables for dessert and music. This year, though, we had a speaker set the tone for the evening. To tie into the theme from the passage of Luke, Bruce Van Natta shared his experience with angels.

In 2006, while working as a diesel mechanic, Bruce was crushed under a semi-truck and essentially died. While hovering that fine line between life and death, he had an out-of-body experience and saw two angels the Lord had sent to save his life. He was in so much pain, he said it would have been easier to let go and be gone for good. However, the paramedic working on him kept him returning to consciousness, telling him to fight for what mattered. When he remembered he had a wife and 4 children, he fought. And stayed alive. And had a brutal rehabilitation, learning how to walk and talk and everything in between.

Bruce lives in the Wisconsin Rapids area and now shares his testimony around the country, giving hope to those who doubt God's love or His plan for them. It was an inspiring story – and far more detailed than I shared here.

And it hit home for me.

Funny how a date sticks in your mind, but it was 17 years ago today that God saved my life, too. No, there wasn't a major accident or angel sighting. He just put a major roadblock in my life so I would stop going down the path I was on. It was not easy to change directions, but I wouldn't be around today if I hadn't. Like Bruce, I had to be reminded that there were special people to fight for.

And those two angels make it worth it every day.

Winging It

Look, Daddy. Teacher says, every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings.

– Zuzu Bailey, It's a Wonderful Life

Maybe I've been bell ringing too much lately, but I think I was hearing bells tonight. And I was nowhere near a Red Kettle. Just doing a favor for a friend.

She is out of town for a conference this week and tonight two of her children had special events and her husband wanted to somehow be at both. Her 2nd-grader had his first-ever wrestling match at 6 p.m. Her 9th-grader had his Christmas band concert at 7:30 p.m.

I met up with her husband at the wrestling match. He got to see his son win his first match then had to leave before the second to make it to the band concert. I stayed and was to give his son and a babysitter (also in attendance) a ride home afterward. No problem.

But have you ever been to a grade-school wrestling match? I believe 4 schools were represented with wrestlers from kindergarten through 5th grade. To say it was a zoo is putting it mildly. Somehow it was organized chaos, and yes, did smell faintly of a zoo.

As the sweat of a thousand grade-school wrestlers infested my nostrils, I thought, wow, I am so earning my wings tonight!

The things we do for friends! Seriously, it was a bit insane but not bad. Our cute little wrestler won both of his matches so he was on top of the world. "That was easy," he says. I encouraged him to practice on his big brother and his big dog – not his chauffeur, as I am pretty sure the feisty angel could take me!

I was able to snap some mostly blurry photos to text to my girlfriend. She was pretty appreciative. I recall times I have had friends take photos of Carter for me when I have been out of town. And I know I really appreciated it!

There's something to be said for paying it forward. At all times of the year.

Your ears may end up ringing but that could be the sound of your wings coming in... or just someone talking about you and your generous spirit.

Snow Angels

When we got up this morning and it was only 12 below zero with a windchill about 30 below, we figured it just wasn't quite cold enough to call off school. Much to Carter's disappointment, we were right. It was, however, one of those days where you didn't want to take too deep a breath or stay outside even seconds longer than necessary! The painful kind of cold.

My mom recalls that it was 24 below zero -- with probably super dangerous windchills -- 50 years ago today. That was the day she went into the hospital to deliver her first set of twins.

I can only imagine the chaos that day with 5 kids under the age of 12 at home and 2 more on the way. I don't know if they all stayed home awaiting word of their new siblings or went with to the hospital or what. I do know it was probably one of the hardest days they all had to get through.

And it had nothing to do with the weather.

Mom gave birth to a girl and a boy. Sadly, the girl gasped for one breath and died. Her brother held on for 3 hours before he joined his sister in heaven. Like two precious snow angels on a winter's day.

I can't even comprehend how my mother held it together. Did she have to comfort her surviving children or did they comfort her? The really tragic chapter in this story is that that was not the end of it. When she got pregnant again -- also with twins -- it was another day of mixed emotions. Again she had a girl and a boy. Sadly, the boy didn't make it through the day. My sister Rachel, praise the Lord, was so tiny but she held on. And is still going strong 48 years later.

How my mother must have feared one more pregnancy 4 years later. And to find out that for the third time, she was going to have twins. How much grief and despair could she shoulder? Somehow, by the grace of God, my twin sister and I were born normal. Well, yes, I do stretch the word "normal" a bit. But we were healthy and alive and here to stay.

Jim and I went to the funeral home tonight for visitation for the mother of one of his high school friends. I could see it was hard enough to say goodbye to a parent. I can't even fathom the reverse -- saying goodbye to your child, at any age, knowing they still have so much life ahead of them. Bless all of you have been in this situation. You have my admiration and support.

We know a family today that is close to dealing with this tragic turn of events. Their poor little girl Hannah has been battling leukemia for several years now. After just celebrating last month that she was cancer-free, she now faces a new batch of medical issues from pneumonia to fluid around her heart. I don't know how much her little body can handle but I am asking you to please pray God will give her the strength to do it.

We just don't need any more snow angels today.

Extra Hour

Did you make use of your "extra" hour last night (or today) as we transitioned to Daylight Saving Time?

Hubby changed every clock in the house except for my alarm clock. He doesn't want to guess how many minutes "fast" I need it! So I changed my own. Apparently I wasn't paying close attention because I screwed up the AM and PM settings. So my alarm did not go off at 6:44 a.m. for church because my clock thought it was 6:44 P.M.

Good thing Jim was half awake so he could push me out of bed at 7! It wouldn't have been a big deal but I had to speak at church this morning so I really didn't want to be late! It was a busy service -- it was All Saints Sunday, plus we welcomed some new members and we began our "Heroes of Faith" series. That's where I come in.

Basically, we are taking short video snippets of congregation members who wish to share who their hero of faith is and a little about them. We (not me) will string all the videos together for a nice presentation at our Thanksgiving Eve service. My part in this is I video (for 2 of the Sundays) the people making their statements. I also got to kick off the series by giving a 3-5 minute talk about my own Hero of Faith.

I generally don't fear public speaking in the least but I still have some church anxiety hanging on. So I typed it up ahead of time so I had something to go by in case I got too nervous and forgot everything. I won't go into details but I shared some struggles my brother has survived in his life and commented on his enduring faith. I told the congregation that my one and only brother is my hero of faith because time and time again he has shown me that true Christians don't just HAVE faith -- they LIVE it. Thanks, bro!

It went OK and some people were touched by it so hopefully that inspires them to share, too.

After church I went a little crazy on several projects. Our "Vikings on a skid" were not on TV so that kept me focused. First we gathered up 9 grocery bags full of items (clothing, jackets, shoes) to donate to Hurricane Sandy Relief. There's a semi leaving Rapids as soon as it's full. That felt good to do our teeny tiny little part.

This afternoon I was busy making chili for Carter's cross country banquet tomorrow and baking some treats to take to my friend who is still recovering from her mastectomy. After that I got cruising on Scrap Camp packing.

I officially have everything set to finish Carter's Middle School album. I started gathering and sorting items for his Grade School book, which I would like to start when I get the other one done next weekend. It's getting to be a challenge. While I have his grades 1-6 photos and report cards, I am missing some of the 8x10 photos and some first day of school images, etc. I guess there's no time like the present to get all of that found and/or printed and organized. This will be a good thing.

The bonus was that I got to watch a Christmas movie on Hallmark while I was sorting.

Wow, a lot sure can be done with that "extra" hour!!

Angels We Have Heard on High

It may seem strange to title my blog after a Christmas Carol in March, but you'll understand in a minute...

Today hubby and I went to a funeral for my mother-in-law's sister, who has been suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease. As the debilitating disease progressed, she was losing weight, losing ability to function normally, even to speak clearly. By the end of last week, she actually went a few days without voicing anything. It was Saturday then that a priest was called to administer Last Rites. Later that evening, nothing short of a miracle occurred.

Surrounded by her husband and children, she suddenly woke up, could speak perfectly clearly and told them about seeing Mary, Jesus, angels and her young grandson who died a few years ago. Unreal. She also was able to talk to each of them individually to say goodbye.

What an amazing story. What a comfort to the family, too, to not only say farewell but know she is out of pain and home with God.

Of course, it didn't make the funeral any less sad. It hits too close to home when I see my mother-in-law and her surviving sisters so distraught. How could I survive losing one of MY sisters? I couldn't!!

It reminds me how blessed I am to not only have my parents but my 7 siblings, too -- who are angels in their own right.

Angels We Have Heard on High

Angels we have heard on high... Sweetly singing o'er the plains...

Do you believe in angels? I do. Sometimes we wonder if God is too busy. But I've realized on more than one occasion that if He is, He sends His angels to do His work and, well, they get the glory.

The more I hear about what transpired yesterday, the more I believe angels were definitely watching over Dad... sweetly singing over the "planes" and helicopters. The doctor reiterated to us again today that Dad got here to the hospital "just in the nick of time." Possibly St. Nick of time. He is our Christmas miracle after all. It was seriously life-threatening and that's scary.

It was such a relief that the first sight we saw when we got here this morning was Dad sitting up in a chair on his own and eating breakfast. Eventually they moved him out of ICU and got him into a "regular" room late this afternoon. As far as his heart goes, things are looking good.

Of course, as things tend to go, there are new concerns for the doctors. They aren't sure his kidneys are functioning properly. That could delay his release by a day or two. We'll see. He's in a top-notch facility and they know what they are doing. Last I saw, he was eating his supper and watching some local news about the latest Vikings stadium proposal. Poor Dad!

I'm about to hit the road to non-Internet territory. I'm taking Mom home and will stay at Mom and Dad's tonight. Thank goodness. Mom had no chance to grab a change of clothes so today she got to sport one of my running shirts and my trendy Sister Bay sweatpants. She looked so cool I am afraid she'll out-fashion me if we stay down here another day. I guess I was her style angel today.

Like I said, angels show up in the darndest places. And thank God for that.

The Christmas Shoes

One of the Christmas books I read over break was called "The Christmas Shoes." I also saw the movie of the same name, which followed the basic story line of a boy who wanted to get a special gift for his dying mother's last Christmas. A stranger helped him buy a pair of sparkly shoes for her to wear when she meets Jesus in heaven.

Yes, it was one of those sappy seasonal stories that required a box of Kleenex, which means, of course, I loved it. By coincidence, my parents also had a "Christmas Shoes" story to tell as their part of our family Christmas program this weekend.

We were entertained with some funny songs by the "Three Wise Queens" and the "12 Days of Christmas" (acted out by some surprisingly willing participants, a.k.a. nephews). Since it was the fifth day of Christmas, my brother also shared his interpretation of the symbolism of the five golden rings. We heard some singing and the reading of the Christmas story. My oldest sister read some Christmas poems she received 25 years ago while living in California (did you know I was a writer even back then?). My guys and I performed a skit about special gifts we'd like to give each family member -- if we were actually Santa and Mrs. Claus.

My parents concluded the program, sharing the story of each of our births (like how much we weighed and comments from the doctor, family members and friends), then hanging a pair of our baby shoes on a "tree." For each of my three siblings and one nephew who died shortly after their births, Mom and Dad hung an angel. They told us how we've all taken a lot of steps through life and left footprints on their hearts. Although I couldn't see through the blur of my tears, I am sure there wasn't a dry eye in the room.

After the program, Mom and Dad offered to let each of us kids take our pair of baby shoes home with us. But I noticed at the end of the night that none of us wanted to disturb that tree. We just couldn't bear to leave those precious angels by themselves ... for they have left a footprint on our hearts, too.