Every holiday season is full of little miracles, whether we want to take the time to notice them or not. This year Scott and I were surprised with a Christmas visitor that turned our lonesome Christmas Holiday into the best Christmas since rollerblade barbie (1995 I think!) I put up the Christmas tree, the lights and the stockings in late November but Christmas just wasn't in the air. Since we are building our house this year, Scott and I decided not to travel home for the holidays. Also since I am new at the job I ended up getting scheduled all of Christmas weekend anyways. We've done everthing possible to bring the holiday spirit into our little home, but without the snow and without our families it just didn't seem possible.
So then the Christmas miracle begins, before we even knew it actually. It was December 1st and I was working in the Neuro Unit, which is strange enough, it was 6 pm and I was busy trying to get things finished for the day, when I get a call. The man says he is from the admitting office and needs me right away, confused I question the man asking why and if he was sure he had the right nurse. He insisted it was me he wanted and it was now that he wanted me. Being an hour away from shift change I tried to get him to wait but he said I had 10 minutes, so I ran. I left my patients in the hands of another nurse and left the unit on my way to admissions. I am texting Scott on the elevator, worried something happened but he texted back just as confused as I was. As I arrive in what I am hoping is the admissions area, a woman is waiting for me, calls me by name, and asks me to follow her. My heart is pounding and I am getting more nervous until I walk around the corner to see my mother sitting their waiting for me. I remember looking at her and then looking at the woman and needing a few seconds to understand what has happened. My mom was in Houston? in the hospital?
My mothers surprise visit to Houston for the holidays. She had planned the visit for a while, but spoke a word to no one is fear of Scott or me finding out. She spent all morning flying from Utah to Phoenix to Houston. As she arrived at the car rental she pulled out her GPS and told the man she was going to "Hermann hospital". She had printed out a map she had from the airport to the Memorial Hermann hospital in northwest Houston. A bit of inside info- there are like 8 Memorial Hermann hospitals in Houston and she had a map to one that was over an hour from where I was. The man tells her about the many Hermann hospitals and asks if she was sure she had the right one. Of course she has no idea, but she knows I work downtown and the map she has is not taking her downtown. The man, being part of the Christmas miracle, puts a different address into her GPS directing her to the exact hospital in which I would be located. After her journey to the Medical Center, finding parking, and asking for directions she somehow ends up in the admissions office.
Having my mother here for the holidays was more than a Christmas miracle. It was exactly what we both needed this Christmas season. We Christmas shopped for three days, wrapped gifts, decorated the tree, and ate and ate and ate!! It was so hard taking her back to the airport Saturday morning but I am so thankful for everyday she was able to spend with us.
I have no doubt that God's hands were involved in so many events that day. From the man at the car rental, to the man in the admissions office, and my boss giving me a couple days off that weekend.Scott was such a good sport, and even though he was sick that week, he let me hang out with my mom, go shopping and he even cooked us dinner one night. I am a very blessed woman to have so many special people in my life and to be able to spend time with my two favorites this time of year. I am hoping and praying that next year we will be able to go home and surprise our families for the holidays. We still have so many people that we miss but hope to see them soon!
Thanks mom, I love ya and miss ya already!!
