Miracles (Part 3 of 3)

Click on picture for larger image This story is only a few months old, and it happened to my wife when she was still pregnant with Gracie. My wife is a part-time music teacher at our kids Catholic school. Well, the school was looking for a new kindergarten teacher, and my wife recommended our neighbor/friend from a couple doors down who is both Catholic and credentialed. Anyways, our friend got the job. This story happens on the start of the year retreat for the teachers. By the end of the first day, the returning teachers had gotten to know the new kindergarten teacher, but they were still curious. One way or the other they had heard that the new teacher had had bariatric surgery (and later surgery to remove excess skin) and was missing a belly button. This is definitely a curious thing. My wife, our neighbor and two other teachers were all driving together to the retreat on the second morning. They were starting to walk up a set of stairs when out of the blue, one of the teachers asked about the reported lack of a belly button. Now, no one has ever asked to see my belly button so I don't know how awkward the moment was, but it must have been awkward. Awkward or not, our neighbor stopped and shared claim to fame with her new colleagues. This must have taken only 10 seconds or so, but it was enough. Just as they started again to climb the stairs, a lady in the parking lot above lost control of her car and plowed it through the pedestrian area at the top landing. If they had not stopped for the story, people would have died. I thank God that my wife and new daughter are with me today. So why share these? I had in my mind that such things did not happen to me. But over the past week all three of these events came to my attention. These aren't water into wine miracles, but I think they are miracles none the less. They show me the extreme fragility of life, and what is important. They show me that God is watching out for me and my family. They make me ask for what purpose we have been spared these tragedies. God has a purpose, and it will be revealed in proper time. These incidences remind me of that.

Miracles (Part 2 of 3)

Click on picture for larger image We moved to Atlanta from So Cal when my boy was 2 years old. I had a huge opportunity and if the market had gone differently we would have been set financially. God had other plans, and we eventually moved back to So Cal. But this story is about the move to ATL. When we move from LA, I was flabbergasted by the tremendous difference in what your money could buy. That difference and a new promotion resulted in a pretty nice house - big yard, an Atlanta address, and a pool in the back. Moving across the country was hectic with all of the details, plus the emotions involved with leaving family. Well, we and the movers were finally at the house. The movers had all of the doors open moving stuff in through both the front and back of the house. We set the kids down to play and told them to stay put, especially when the back door was open. We kept a careful eye out while the doors were open, not wanting any lost or injured kids. The movers were just about done, bringing in the last few things. We were starting the task of opening boxes. The girl was coloring at the table, and the boy was playing - at least that is what we thought. My daughter dropped a marker, and she moved to pick it up. As she bent down, she saw my son flailing about in the deep end of the pool well away from the edge. She shouted that he was in the pool. The urge to panic instantly welled up within me, but I acted immediately. I ran out the door, jumped into the dirty water with clothes, shoes, cell phones and all. As I was coming up, I had him in my arms and on the side of the pool with one motion. The thought of the incident still brings up emotions. What could have happened? What if my daughter had not dropped her marker? What if she had looked right instead of left? What if both of us had been upstairs? I know God was watching, and I am so grateful that I still have my son. Thank you, Lord.

Miracles (Part 1 of 3)

Click on picture for larger image While writing my blog, I was presented with the question of miracles in a Friday Feast, and I wrote about how my brother almost wasn't (you can read the tale here and here). That is an excellent story left me wondering whether the warning came from someone who was more than what he appeared. But that story is not my story, at least not directly. Without really focusing on it other sincidences came to mind. Now mind you, these are not the biblical sized miracles like turning water into wine, being knocked off a horse by God, or such. Nor are they the everyday miracles like life itself. In some ways they seem to me to be the guardian angel working overtime type of miracles, and I have three that I came to mind over the past several days. The first happened on my birthday. I think it was my 16th, only two years after my brother from the other story was born. Now, at the time my folks had run into a bit of a rough patch financially, and we had moved to a house that did not quite fit their dreams. But it was a good home in a solid working class neighborhood. Now, for most of my life my Mom had been a full-time mom, but because my dad had been injured, she spent a few years working for the local school district. For a boy of 16, no mom or dad around meant a little bit of freedom. I must admit that I was not exactly the wildest kid, but I was not as good as I could have been either. I remember wishing I could drive (I didn't drive until 17), but was going to make the most of the warm day. I grabbed my bike and was going for a ride down the street. At the time we lived in a flag lot where a big property was subdivided into three smaller properties with a long driveway. We lived in the middle house. And the driveway was just long enough to get going a good speed - not super fast, but fast enough. Now there were bushes and cars along the driveway, so I could not see whether any cars were coming. Being 16, I was not really paying attention. Thankfully, my guardian angel was paying attention. A car hit my bike, ripped the front wheel right off and sent it flying at a good 200 feet. I fell to the ground, and a pebble scratched the heal of my hand, and that was the extent of my injuries. A car going about 35 mph missed hitting me directly by the tiniest fraction of a second. I am not sure that others would think that a miracle, but I do. I thank God I am alive, and for an excellent guardian angel.

Heroes

Sorry, no larger image. The picture above is of Grace Michelle, who is due to arive in a couple months. You'll see the connection to the picture as you read on. Adoro Te Devote has started a meme, and has tagged me. Here are the rules: 1. Honor a living hero 2. Preference given to Firefighters, Police Officers, Paramedics, EMT's, Dispatchers 3. Not everyone is acquainted with someone fitting into these categories. If this is the case, then honor someone else, a hero in your life who is willing to "give all" in some way. It can be a priest, a pastor, a teacher, a relative, a friend...etc. First, thanks! I kinda like these. :) Second, let me say that this is not easy. I am one of those Gen Xers who doesn't have much in the way of heroes. There have been people who have influenced me, whom I admire, whom I appreciate, for whom I thank God. But not any real "heroes." Oh, I could probably pull a cliché, but that would not be much fun for you or me. So I was stumped. But as I was driving Sunday night it came to me. I hope this person is still living, but I don't know - the event happened about 23 years ago, and it didn't happen to me - though I witnessed it. It was early in my high school years. I think it was between freshman and sophomore year. I was living at school then and was either home on the weekend or for Easter break. Anyway, Mom was having medical issues. Something was wrong. She had gone to the doctor, and he said he thought she had a tumor. I am not sure of the details, but I did know that she was worried. The doctor prescribed some sort of medication that would help if it was tumor, and I remember us going to the local Sav-on drug store to get the prescription filled. I still remember that day because, something happened that I had not seen before nor since. Later that day I remember sitting at the kitchen table, where you can see the front door. I don't remember how long it was since we had gotten home, but there was a knock on the door. I think my sister opened it. A man was at the door asking to see Mom. It was the pharmacist. Now, perhaps in the "old days" (circa 1880) pharmacists would visit your house. But in the early 1980s, to have a stranger make a house call...? It isn't really "me" decade behavior. He told Mom that if she had any reason to think that she was pregnant, not to take the medication. Now, the doctors told Mom that she would never have children again after my sister (who was 12 by then). This was very odd to hear, but with a warning like that, would you take the medication? Mom didn't take it. The tumor turned out to not be a tumor, but my brother. When I look back at my life, there were lots of people who helped me and made a huge difference in my life. But I can think of only this one time where I witnessed a person save the life of someone close to me. To keep this going, I tag: Jerry Grosso at My Autistic Boy and Other Adventures in Fatherhood Moneybags at A Catholic Life (if he is not too swamped) Amber at This Catholic Journey Ukok at Ukok's Place and... Aaron Calloway, who is lurking as a reader here. AC, just post it in the comments. :) Tags: heroes, pharmacist, miracle