Christmas Surprises

This week has been full of surprises.
Yesterday all the girls at work went out to lunch because I was not able to attend our office dinner. During lunch they presented me with a gift from the entire office. After they saw our article in Newsday, they collected from everyone and gave us a very nice Christmas gift. It brought tears to my eyes.
Today when I came home from work, my mom said that someone rang the doorbell and left a gift bag on the stoop. They ran away so they could not be seen. Inside the bag was a beautiful story about the meaning of Christmas, homemade cookies and an envelope with cash.
Tonight around 6:30 our doorbell rang. Standing on my front step were 2 woman with two large boxes wearing Santa hats. They smiled and said "Merry Christmas - you don't know who were are, do you?" They were two nurses from the hospital that Mike was in back in 2004 for his anger/agitation. They saw the article in Newsday and decided they were going to "adopt"our family for Christmas. They brought food, dessert and gift cards for Courtney and Brandon and the supermarket. I think I am STILL in shock. It's been 5 years and they've never forgotten us. They told me that we were a difficult family to forget because we are "not the norm". They said they very rarely get to see the love and devotion we showed to Mike while he was hospitalized those 2 months.
These surprises show me how much of an impact we have had on other people. The fact that these people went out of their way to prepare 3 meals and dessert, track down our address, MapQuest us and deliver it all to us 2 days before Christmas when I am sure they are busy themselves - is humbling. The fact that another person baked cookies, copied a beatiful story about Christmas and left a gift, going out of their way to remain anonymous, is also amazing.
We have been EXTREMELY blessed and I am thankful and forever grateful to these Christmas angels. It's special knowing that we have touched people's lives.
Merry Christmas!!