A Christmas to Remember

It’s 5:00 am on Christmas morning. I have been thinking of how many Christmas mornings that I try to convince our children to sleep in so that they can really enjoy the day and be rested. This morning we are following our normal routine with a 5:00 am wash rag bath, suctioning and cleaning of the trach, and tube feeding meds. Tomorrow we will have been in the ICU for 5 weeks. It still seems like a one day dream that goes on and on. I walk down the hallway and remember that this day is different, It is Christmas Day , the celebration of our Saviors birth.

Desi, Kylie, Rachel, Steven, and Kiara at the foot of Mom's chair 

 Families gather, open presents, eat , read out of Luke 2, sing carols, pray and sometimes watch a movie. We always used to have a big slumber party down stairs and no one could come up until Sister McKee said it was Ok. She would hold the video camera and then say, “This is Christmas morning……” As I pear into the waiting room I am reminded that it has become our downstairs. There on the hard floor our 7 our ten children, two wonderful daughter in laws and two grandsons all spread across the floor each wrapped in a blanket. Tears fill my eyes as I am reminded once again of family traditions and how important these moments are. I reflect on us reading together in that waiting area last night from Luke 2 and talking about the simplicity of the Nativity, the most beautiful story ever told. The Savior of the world being born in a lowly stable. For years we have kept up another tradition of setting up a nativity in front of our businesses with live goats, sheep and donkey. We gently wrapped baby in swaddling clothes and laid Him in a manger.

This year I am peering through the glass of the waiting area at those sweet children each on a tile manger wrapped in swaddling blankets so that they could be close to their mother and father on Christmas morning. My mind goes back to that manger again, what it must have been like knowing that you were bringing God’s son to the world and delivering that child in a stable. So simple , so pure and yet it changed the world. I am reminded about the shepherds abiding in the field. Such a simple life style and yet the angels visited them and gave them the precious information, that the Savior of the world was being born and that all mankind would be saved through Him. It reminds me again that great things can happen in very small ways, Alma 37, 6,7. It was established with the birth of the Savior and continues to be taught over and over by the Lord. Small and simple things create miracles.

Merry Christmas from the waiting room in  Nashville, TN

Looking again at our family simply sleeping on the floor in the waiting area last night, bringing up their own hot chocolate mix, watching “elf” on the wall, using the missionary projector, opening up our Christmas pajamas that the children went out and bought themselves this year somehow makes it all OK.

This will be a unique Christmas as they wake up and file into the hospital room. It will be simple but loved filled and pure. We will spend the morning gathered around Sister McKee and then walk the halls singing Christmas carols to others that are here on this precious day.

Sister McKee is still in critical condition, She had a liter of fluids drawn from her lungs yesterday with a very long needle. We are battling to make sure that she does not get pneumonia. She is dealing with nausea in a major way on this Christmas morning which complicates so much. She continues to progress and works every day to do those “simple” things to bring about success. We get excited for those “simple” things that produce miracles. She “simply” held a toothbrush to her mouth today and took a couple of swipes, “simply” took some assisted steps across the room, “simply” played a few one note melodies on the keyboard yesterday, “simply” lifted her spoon to her lips a few times to eat. “Simply” speaks a few words through her passy muir valve on the trach. All these “simple” things are producing a miracle. The real miracle is that we have her with us on this Christmas Day. The eternal miracle is that the Christ child was born this day and the world changed discovering that He is the Savior of the world, He has atoned for our sins, He was resurrected and gives to us that hope that all mankind will be resurrected and be able to live with our loving Heavenly Father. He has restored His gospel on this earth that all may return back to Him. He came to this earth in such a “simple” way produced a miracle that will change the world and change each of us each day as we turn to Him.

Thank you again for your prayers and faith,

Merry Christmas from the William McKee family