Christmas supper was cancelled when the host had to be rushed to the local hospital ICU for blood transfusions and series of tests and to be monitored.
Christmas tree from Tahoe in the courtyard …
In the small waiting room was a tired looking mom and a young boy maybe 8 years old … she mentioned that she’s been coming for three days now. We didn’t ask questions but shared an empathetic nod. So when you are in the waiting room of ICU, these are the kind of literature we see available – brochures on various Spirituality & Self-Help but what caught my eyes was this brochure called “Finding a Way to Forgive”. I wondered why that was there. And I knew. Why. 
It’s a reminder that life is short and we need to really take care of our relationships – relationship with our own selves and others so that we are unencumbered and content. No worries our Christmas host, after spending 4 days in ICU is fine now at home and we had our Christmas dinner Sunday night instead of Wednesday.
The unexpected gift of the actual Christmas Day was the message: that we … don’t take things or people for granted; What needs fixing and repairing – don’t wait, repair them, and I’m talking relationships; and that we relish each breath, waste little time and energy on the unimportant stuff – by living in the present moment; with gratitude. And that requires a discipline of SELF-CARE and tools and techniques for that practice besides the will to. The will alone will not be enough – the will, the tools, the techniques and … self-knowledge and wisdom to look deep deep within.
As the Christmas supper was scheduled for mid-day, we were a bit hungry after getting out from the hospital in the evening. We did not feel like being guests to an empty home while the host lies alone at an ICU bed so … we went to the only restaurant open locally in this part of town not too familiar to us – of course, it’s Chinese restaurant recommended by that mom with a little boy in the waiting room – she would know we figured. We were grateful that there are fine professionals working on Christmas day. The ICU staff was compassionate and probably short-staffed but doing their best … Chinese food after hours of waiting was … so good. Gratitude that I was not alone; but with my tribe. Gratitude. Gratitude all Around.
It’s “Super K” brand fortune cookie … even here away from home.
