A Gift for the Heart

Holidays can be difficult after losing a loved one. This will be my second Christmas without my son. When I think of Christmas, my mind always visits the last one I had with Jordan. From my vantage point now, I can see the hand of God fashioning an extra special memory designed to comfort my heart for a lifetime.

Due to other family commitments, Christmas Eve 2015 found me alone with my children. Madison cooked Jordan’s favorite green chili recipe—we ate with gusto, but as planned there was plenty left over to send home with Jordan Christmas evening. As had been our tradition for twenty years, we planned to watch our favorite Christmas movie, Annabelle’s Wish. What in the world had I done with the DVD? That was strange...we watch it every Christmas Eve and it was always stored on the shelf with my other DVD’s. I looked everywhere...what to do? Jordan to the rescue! In no time at all, he had found the obscure video online and it was downloaded on his iPad ready to view. If we had been able to watch it on the large TV, I would have been on the couch—no doubt nodding off; Madison would have been watching from the big comfy chair; and Jordan would have been sprawled out on the floor. As it turned out we huddled together, shoulder touching shoulder, with Jordan in the middle as we watched the heartwarming story. The watching of the movie is a tradition that is uniquely ours and that year was extra special as God choreographed the little details.

After the movie we drank hot chocolate with lots of whipped cream...or was that whipped cream with a little hot chocolate?! We played Yahtzee and Scattergories. (Madison naturally won most every game!). We laughed, we hugged, we said, “I love you!” It was a magical time. We all three commented on what a wonderful evening we shared— it seemed different somehow, although it was so familiar. We were present—in the moment and we could feel the love we shared so deeply.

If I had known that would be my last Christmas with Jordan-I would have spent it exactly the same...making a memory that I would hold in my heart forever.

Christmas Eve 2015. Such a blessing... its value unknown at the time. A treasure orchestrated beyond this realm—Thank you, God.