two amazing Christmas presents

as you get older, Christmas loses its childhood magic. there aren't the same kind of surprises as when we were children--we pretty much know what we can expect under the tree.
i've been fortunate the last few days to receive some surprise gifts, though.
a blizzard in colorado nearly shut down the airport in denver so two friends of mine from there who were on their way to the midwest for christmas decided to drive and, as the mainstreet of america, I-80 took them through des moines, so I got to spend about a half hour with them yesterday evening. it was significant for me, because it reminded me of how i was there before all of this crap started. yes, i was stressed and overworked and overextended, but i was positive. mk and chris reminded me of the positive person i was.
and then i finally got an e-mail from ferpan in namibia. the subject line was "believe in the god of impossibilities." whether you are a person of faith or not, you can understand perhaps what this means to me. life seems impossible right now. but i just have to believe.
so whatever you're celebrating right now, remember, believe.