On the night before Christmas Eve, Dylan and I were sitting on the sofa singing carols while the boys were doing the dishes. The doorbell rang. Someone answered it, and in filed about 20 carolers, all festively dressed in black and red. They were all the youth from the Thermal Ward - one of the Spanish speaking units in our stake. They smiled and asked if they could sing to Dylan. He was still on the sofa in the family room. The sang a beautiful carol from the Spanish hymnal, all verses It was absolutely lovely! I recognized a few faces but didn't know any of their names. Apparently, one sweet little girl who had been on the stake children's choir with Dylan and the other boys (in the Santa hat), felt so sorry for Dylan and what he has been going through, that she arranged the whole thing. She was clearly excited that her arrangements had finally come to fruition, since she was grinning and bouncing around the whole time. 
Then they sang Silent Night in Spanish, and invited us to sing along, in English of course. The beautiful, unexpected music filled our home with such a sweet peace and spirit! It was simply magical. When they were done, they all wished us a Merry Christmas and wished Dylan to get well soon. I hugged them all and thanked them so much for their lovely music as they filed out the door into the cool night air.
When the door closed I burst into tears.
I was so amazed that these sweet young people, strangers, had gone to all the trouble of practicing, getting dressed up, arranging rides, and coming all they way over here to sing for a sick little boy and his family on the night before Christmas Eve. It brought forward all my emotions - deep feelings of gratitude for all the service, well wishes, and love given to our family over the last two months, from loved ones as well as strangers, near and far. It was all too much - too much love that I hardly know what to do with it all. I realized that all these kind acts could never be repayed - only received with glad and thankful hearts. And I am so grateful - grateful that Dylan is still with us - and thriving, grateful that our family is all together again, grateful for all those people who love us, and grateful that there is so much good in this world, grateful for Christmas, and for the salvation offered by the one whose birth we celebrate.
I bawled for a long time.
Funny how a few songs sung by a few young people can do all that.
Thank You Thermal youth! And Merry Christmas!
5 comments:
It is a great feeling. Last christmas several families in our ward came to our house to sing us carols after Tatum had fallen down the stairs. It made realize how much people cared.
Shelly that is soo sweet. I love to hear about the small things to some are actually huge to others. Merry Christmas to you and you family. Love ya!
MINDY
There seems to have been quite the orchestration! Your family is definitely worth all of the phone calls, ride arrangements, and music! To Dylan...just think, you can remember this as one of the first (of many) times that a girl will go to a lot of trouble to impress you! Woo-Hoo! To Rachelle, your son's too cool! He can't help it, after all, it's your fault, you passed it on genetically to him!
I love the Thermal ward. There are so many wonderful people in that ward. I am not surprised that they would do that for you. i am so glad they did. you are truely deserving of it.
Okay -- Dylan stories have certainly brought tears to my eyes several times, but this story is pure sweetness. What a special girl to think of such service!
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