Everybody’s coming home for Christmas this year,” Mama said. “Can y’all make it down from New York?”
You bet! It had been way too long since we’d flown home to New Orleans when all my siblings were there at once.
With the six of us, our spouses and kids, that meant a Christmas overflowing with family, overflowing with love. And isn’t that what Christmas is supposed to be? We’d have the best Christmas ever.
The snow fell while we packed. Snow fell while we ate dinner. Snow fell as we went up to bed, our bags by the door. We woke up early the next morning, ready to fly.
“Ding,” came the email notice from my cell phone. “Your flight has been cancelled due to inclement weather,” the airline informed me. “We apologize for any inconvenience.”
Cancelled! No airline was going to cancel my Christmas! I got on the internet. I spent hours on the phone trying to rebook. It would be days before we could get to New Orleans, days after everybody there was already gone.
I stared at our luggage, the extra bag full of hand-me-downs, the gifts that would have to be mailed. I was so thankful for my big family that I loved and missed—and for my little family snowed in right here with me.
Sure, I was disappointed, but the love born that first Christmas, long ago, was a love I enjoyed in my life every single day. Some of that love traveled from as far away as New Orleans, some of it was as close to me as the angels in heaven. How could I not rejoice?
Flights were cancelled, no trains or buses running. Travel had come to a halt. But there was no stopping Christmas. Not as long as there was love in my heart. We could unpack our bags later. It was Christmastime in our house.
Download your FREE ebook, True Inspirational Stories: 9 Real Life Stories of Hope & Faith.
