My best Christmas gift this year

[Linda Z]

Santa came early for me this year, when somehow my son managed to escape LaGuardia after being stuck there for a day and a half trying to get a flight home on standby. He had a "buddy pass" that he had to use by the end of the year, and he had the brilliant idea that the weekend before Christmas would be a great time to go to New York City to visit a friend and go hear another friend's band play.

Getting there was no problem. He got on a flight right away, arrived safely and had a great weekend. Coming home was another story. He started calling on Sunday to check seat availability. Nada. All the flights were sold out until after Christmas.

He headed to the airport early Monday afternoon with the friend he stayed with. His friend had a regular ticket for a flight to Cleveland, and my son hoped somehow to get on the same flight. Yeah, right. He waved goodbye to his friend and tried the next flight, and the next, and the next, for 18 long hours.

It would have sucked not having him home for Christmas, but it would have sucked worse knowing he was spending Christmas at LaGuardia! There were 5 other people ahead of him on standby (people with buddy passes are at the bottom of the totem pole). After each flight that left without him, he'd call me. "Nope, couldn't get on that one."

I tried calling Amtrak. Same story, sold out completely. Greyhound (perish the thought) would have put him in here at about 11:30 p.m. on Christmas eve. Things were not looking good.

The airport was so crowded that they herded people down to the baggage claim area to spend the night. He tried the 6:20 a.m. flight the next morning and it looked like he might get on that one. It was delayed until about 8:30, at which time he called to tell me he didn't make it again, but there was another flight at 9:30. I was praying like a house afire, as I had all through the previous afternoon and night, that somehow there'd be a seat for him.

Finally, at about 9:30 a.m., my phone rang. "Mom, you won't believe it. I'm sitting on a plane!!"

If all I get for Christmas this year is a lump of coal, I'll still be grinning, and very, very thankful.

[JesseJoe]

Linda, I am so happy for you :^) I have no doubt you will have a very Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to pop out of retirement and say hi. Paw got me my old user name back. JesseJoe was who I was for a very long time. My healing started as JesseJoe.

Did I ever tell you that you were a large part of that healing. I don’t think I ever did. I remember your encouragement and your kindness. You never judged. Even when you spoke out it wasn’t in a harsh condemning way. You helped me see how I wanted to be in my life simply by living yours. You helped me heal.

Merry Christmas, Linda Z.

All the best to you and yours,

Shelly

[RainbowsGirl]

Merry Christmas Linda Z and to Your Family!!!

Thank You for sharing both the magnitude and simplicity of the GIfts only GOD can give us!!!

[waysider]

Geeze---And here I was, thinking my Charlie Harper shirt was pretty cool.

Edited December 25, 2008 by waysider

[Linda Z]

JJ, it so great to see your screen name here!! I've missed you. Gosh, I had no idea, but thank you so much for your kind words. I hope you'll stick around here, as long as there's a here to stick around. Merry Christmas!

RG, thanks for your reply, too, and for the lovely wreath.

And Waysider, what can I say? Cool shirt, but it does sorta pale by comparison to the gift I received.

I hope everyone's Christmas was wonderful. My family's surely was.

[Watered Garden]

My best gift comes tomorrow, when I get to see my most precious #1 minisprout grandson, who is never permitted to spend Christmas with us, and supposedly not to ever see us again, according to his demented maternal parent. Sprout is getting him and we are going to do breakfast and open presents.

WG

[Linda Z]

WG, enjoy every precious minute with your little one and your bigger ones!!

Someday, when all the smoke his mom blows clears away and he's a little older and understands better, he'll not forget how you've loved him and fought for him. You're storing up treasures in his heart.

[kimberly]

Linda Z, I am with you honey girl. There is no material stuff in the world that can compare to having our children with us....and they make it home safe and sound. How many hugs did you give him?

So happy for you that your Christmas Eve was full of laughs.

[oenophile]

Merry Christmas, Linda. I hope you have a wonderful holiday season with him.