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I can remember a few years back when I celebrated the christmas holiday.  It was celebrated not for the giving or the taking but a time to remember what I have been blessed with and who gave me the opportunity to share these blessings.  I was in college and away from home and it had been more than a year since I had been home because I had a car accident and no longer had a vehicle.  I graduated in december or rather completed all of my coursework for my degree in Elementary Education to become an elementary school teacher.  I went to school in Miami, FL and was planning to live in the area and work.  I got a job working at a TDD relay station where I typed the conversations of people who talked to deaf individuals.  I worked there for more than two weeks but I began to get really homesick.  I was 31 years old and felt as if I were 10. 

I cried regularly and uncontrollably for a few days and spoke with my sister who was living in Daytona Beach, FL at the time.  I explained to her how much I missed home and had a desire to leave Miami.  She caringly left her job that Friday and drove from Daytona to Miami, loaded her van with all of my stuff and drove back to Daytona in one night.  She did all of the driving and I could not believe that she would do that for me.  On top of that, I stayed with her for two weeks and it was one of those winters where it actually got cold in Florida in December.  Her current apartment at that time was a one bedroom upstairs apt.  It leaked everywhere and it rained for many days.  I stayed with her for two weeks leading up to Christmas.  I had spoken to my mom a few times but never let her know where I was.  On Christmas eve, we loaded all of my belongings in her van again and proceeded to travel to Lakeland, FL.  I had spoken to my mom on the way and explained to her why I would not be able to come home for the holidays.  Upon arrival to my mom's house, my sister walked in the door and told my mom that she had brought some company with her.  My mom had just started to explain to my sister about giving advanced notice of bringing visitors when I walked in the door.  I had never seen my mom become speechless before, however, on that night she stood there, mouth wide open, smile on her face, a sparkle in her eye as she held her arms wide open as she embraced me into her loving arms and squeezed me very comfortably and I in return.  I was just as happy since I had not seen my mom in over a year.  We both looked at each other afterwards and started to laugh as we both had tears streaming down our faces.  But that is not the best part, what made more than this moment special to me was the fact that my dear mom, gave me her room to sleep in during the time that I lived with them (one year).  She slept on the sofa during all of that time.  She did this because her husband, my step-father at that time had been ill and slept in the other bedroom but was not completely of sound mind.  He would tend to come out of the room sometimes almost completely in the buff and it never occurred to him that he would see anyone else other than my mom in the house.  She did this also because she wanted me to have some privacy.  I cannot fathom the amount of love that she had for me to give up her room for me for an entire year.  My mother nor my step-father is no longer here with me.  But if there is ever a time I had to think back to a Christmas time or a special holiday time for me, it would be that Christmas that I was able to come home to be with my mom and my step-father (who was more than a father to me) whom I have and continue to miss.  There is an emptiness that I feel but I am thankful to God for the privilege to have had the opportunity to live and share my life with.  I am a better person because of them.