I spent this morning shopping at the Italian Market in South Philadelphia with my 2 oldest children, Sean and Katie. The significance of this is greater than most of you know. You see, this time last year Kate was not with us. She was in active heroin addiction and living on the streets in a completely dangerous city with no regard to her safety at all. Fortunately she contracted MRSA in the left ventricle of her heart and it almost killed her. Her lungs were filled with infectious pulmonary emboli. I say fortunately she contracted mrsa because the Good Lord works in mysterious ways and it got her off of the streets. She ended up in isolation in the coronary care unit of a very good local hospital. I never left her side the entire 48 days she was there. From there she went to rehab and has now been home with us clean and sober for over a month and is going to 1 - 2 meetings a day and working a very good 12 step program. Also this time last year I had just lost my father who i was very close with and spent every holiday with and my husband was out of work hurt from an auto accident and we had no money. I sometimes struggled to get out of bed last winter..to say I was depressed is an understatement. But I never ever said...“Why Me?” because I trust in God and I know His will must be done with or without our understanding. I never lost my faith or stopped praying, I also found the most solace in the meditative prayers of the rosary. My point here is...I am so very grateful and happy to have all my children here with me this Christmas and I know someday it will not be this way when they are married and have children of their own but as long as they are happy and healthy and safe I will be too! Thanks for letting me share! Have a wonderful Christmas everyone!!