I can remember back to a beautiful woman in my youth.

  Her name was Doris Mardosa and she was my Grammy!

  She was a delight to all who knew her, not just me.

  I now have the perfect example on how to live my life but way back then, it was her.

  Us three boys cherished her!  We never witnessed her doing anything wrong.  She must have, of course but we could never catch her!  We tried.

  She was my Fathers Mother.  She was the glue that held the family together.  The one you could always depend on and she expected nothing, in return.

  One day, things changed.

  This wonderful nurse and lady, who had done so much for everyone else, found out that she had cancer.

  First it took her breast.

  She did better for some time but it started on the rest.

  She grew weaker by the month.

  Towards the end, she was in a nursing home permanently.  It seemed like we were there everyday.  We wanted to enjoy every moment with her.  I can even remember sleeping there, although it was against the rules.  Her caretakers loved her and they allowed my Father and I to.

  Christmas came and it was being planned on that she couldn't leave the hospital to enjoy it at her home, with us.

  We were all dismayed but determined to have it at her place, anyway.

  Then, she got a little better.  Not much and not enough but enough so the doctors thought she would be strong enough to spend a couple of hours at home, to have Christmas with all of us!

  The day arrived and we couldn't wait.

  The ambulance arrived at her house and two nice men brought her in.  They set her up comfortably and left for a couple of hours.

  I don't remember much that went on with the gifts and such.  I remember just being happy she was home and that it would be our last Christmas with her.

  Too soon, the ambulance men came back.  Grammy was very tired by then.  She needed to go.

  They prepped her to move and set her into the ambulance.  When she was ready to go, one of them returned and handed someone the bill for the ambulance ride and services.

  The bill totaled $0.00 and in handwriting, said: Have A Merry Christmas, Thank You!

  Life went back to visits at the nursing home, to see her.

  It wasn't very much longer, at all.  Maybe she used the last of her strength for Christmas and for us.

  The doctors told us she didn't have long.  Somehow all the machines they had her attached to, told them.

  I think they said a few days.

  "A few days!  How could this be?"

  We were there around the clock and the clock ticked away.

  There was a lot of hidden crying and a lot of crying that couldn't be hidden.

  The day came that the machines told the doctors "A few hours."

  A little while later, it was thought best that I go to "The Waiting Room."

  I went there and sat down.  I couldn't read, I was crying.  Some patients visitors went walking buy and they were very noisy, it seemed.  Maybe they weren't noisy and I just hated their joy.

  I walked into the hallway and saw another room, marked "Recreation Room."  Through the glass of the closed doors I could see a couch and I thought I would have some privacy, on it.

  I slipped in and sat down.  A piano was just in front of me.

  It was quiet.  Too quiet with my thoughts.

  A solid door at the other end opened and a man wheeled himself through, in his wheelchair.

  He didn't even look at me and rolled to the piano.

  Without a warm-up, he began playing the most beautiful song.

  I had never heard it before and haven't since.

  It touched me so!

  I wished it wouldn't stop but after about five minutes it wound down to the finish and ended.

  The man closed the cover on the keys and wheeled himself out, the way he had come in.

  It was over and I was then crying pools.

  Something else happened, then.

  Like a small voice inside, I heard "She's gone, Jeff.  She's in Heaven, now."

  I must have had a tear reserve, because they were flowing like rivers.  I couldn't stop.

  I thought about God.  I wished God was like this.  I felt a personal comfort in what just happened.  It went against everything I had learned about Him, in church or from anyone.  I shrugged it off then but thought about it often, after.

  I suddenly thought about my parents and that I should go find them!

  I stood up and turned to leave.  They were in the hallway, looking into the waiting room, for me.  I could see they were crying.  It looked like my mom asked "Where is he?"

  They paused and tearfully hugged.  I walked out through the doors and they looked up at me.

  One of them said "Grammy passed away, Jeff."

  "I know." I said.

  We all hugged and cried.

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   I believe with all sincerity that God is with us, all our lives.  That he is there to comfort us and help us through the difficult challenges that we all go through.

  I also believe that our ears and eyes become closed to him, in part because of all the evil we see, hear, think, do and witness in other ways.

  Sometimes God taps us on the shoulder and we shrug it off.

  The day finally came for me when my eyes and ears were opened and I stopped with all the shrugging.

   I listened.  I saw.  I witnessed Him and I finally believed.

   I originally planned to save this little story to include in my "bigger story."  God moved me to do it now.  For a lot of reasons I know and for many, I don't.  It is shorter than I planned.

   Some of you are sending me personal messages and I LOVE THEM!

   I really felt the need to get this out before Christmas.  I really want people to know what Christmas is about and what it so dearly means to me.

   It is a symbol of the birth of what comforts me.  Nothing else can take His place.

   Christmas is a time to forgive each other, even the unforgivable things.  It is a time for healing and togetherness.  It is time to enjoy LOVE.  Love freely given.

   I pray that you all seek God this Christmas.  He is a free gift!

   I hope if you hear Him whisper in your heart, feel Him tapping on the door or moving you in some way, that you don't brush Him away.

   He is the one true gift that you seek.

   All you have to do is ask Him.  All the Angels will rejoice and you will start to see your true path.

I love you all,

MERRY CHRISTMAS!