Miracles Of The Season

Hi I Received this story in an E-Mail and want to share....I Know it's Long but it touched my heart..

> > >Always believe in MIRACLES!!
> > >
> > >Three years ago, a little boy and his grandmother came to
> > >see Santa at Mayfair Mall in Wisconsin. The child climbed
> > >up on his lap, holding a picture of a little girl. "Who
> > >is this?" asked Santa, smiling. "Your friend? Your
> > >sister?"
> > >
> > >"Yes, Santa," he replied. "My sister, Sarah, who is very
> > >sick," he said sadly.
> > >
> > >Santa glanced over at the grandmother who was waiting
> > >nearby, and saw her dabbing her eyes with a tissue.
> > >
> > >"She wanted to come with me to see you, oh, so very much,
> > >Santa!" the child exclaimed. "She misses you," he added
> > >softly.
> > >
> > >Santa tried to be cheerful and encouraged a smile to the
> > >boy's face, asking him what he wanted Santa to bring him
> > >for Christmas. When they finished their visit, the
> > >Grandmother came over to help the child off his lap, and
> > >started to say something to Santa, but halted.
> > >
> > >"What is it?" Santa asked warmly.
> > >
> > >"Well, I know it's really too much to ask you, Santa, but
> > >..." the old woman began, shooing her grandson over to one
> > >of Santa's elves to collect the little gift which Santa
> > >gave all his young visitors. "The girl in the photograph
> > >... my granddaughter .. well, you see .. she has
> > >leukemia and isn't expected to make it even through the
> > >holidays," she said through tear-filled eyes. "Is there
> > >any way, Santa ... any possible way that you could come
> > >see Sarah? That's all she's asked for, for Christmas, is
> > >to see Santa."
> > >
> > >Santa blinked and swallowed hard and told the woman to
> > >leave information with his elves as to where Sarah was,
> > >and he would see what he could do. Santa thought of
> > >little else the rest of that afternoon. He knew what he
> > >had to do. "What if it were MY child lying in that
> > >hospital bed, dying," he thought with a sinking heart,
> > >"this is the least I can do."
> > >
> > >When Santa finished visiting with all the boys and girls
> > >that evening, he retrieved from his helper the name of the
> > >hospital where Sarah was staying. He asked the assistant
> > >location manager how to get to Children's Hospital.
> > >
> > >"Why?" Rick asked, with a puzzled look on his face.
> > >
> > >Santa relayed to him the conversation with Sarah's
> > >grandmother earlier that day. "C'mon .... I'll take you
> > >there," Rick said softly.
> > >
> > >Rick drove them to the hospital and came inside with
> > >Santa. They found out which room Sarah was in. A pale
> > >Rick said he would wait out in the hall. Santa quietly
> > >peeked into the room through the half-closed door and saw
> > >little Sarah on the bed. The room was full of what
> > >appeared to be her family; there was the Grandmother and
> > >the girl's brother he had met earlier that day. A woman
> > >whom he guessed was Sarah's mother stood by the bed,
> > >gently pushing Sarah's thin hair off her forehead. And
> > >another woman who he discovered later was Sarah's aunt,
> > >sat in a chair near the bed with weary, sad look on her
> > >face. They were talking quietly, and Santa could sense
> > >the warmth and closeness of the family, and their love and
> > >concern for Sarah. Taking a deep breath, and forcing a
> > >smile on his face, Santa entered the room, bellowing a
> > >hearty, "Ho, ho, ho!"
> > >
> > >"Santa!" shrieked little Sarah weakly, as she tried to
> > >escape her bed to run to him, IV tubes in tact.
> > >
> > >Santa rushed to her side and gave her a warm hug. A child
> > >the tender age of his own son -- 9 years old -- gazed up
> > >at him with wonder and excitement. Her skin was pale and
> > >her short tresses bore telltale bald patches from the
> > >effects of chemotherapy. But all he saw when he looked at
> > >her was a pair of huge, blue eyes. His heart melted, and
> > >he had to force himself to choke back tears. Though his
> > >eyes were riveted upon Sarah's face, he could hear the
> > >gasps and quiet sobbing of the women in the room. As he
> > >and Sarah began talking, the family crept quietly to the
> > >bedside one by one, squeezing Santa's shoulder or his hand
> > >gratefully, whispering "thank you" as they gazed sincerely
> > >at him with shining eyes. Santa and Sarah talked and
> > >talked, and she told him excitedly all the toys she wanted
> > >for Christmas, assuring him she'd been a very good girl
> > >that year. As their time together dwindled, Santa felt
> > >led in his spirit to pray for Sarah, and asked for
> > >permission from the girl's mother. She nodded in
> > >agreement and the entire family circled around Sarah's
> > >bed, holding hands. Santa looked intensely at Sarah and
> > >asked her if she believed in angels.
> > >
> > >"Oh, yes, Santa ... I do!" she exclaimed.
> > >
> > >"Well, I'm going to ask that angels watch over you,"he
> > >said. Laying one hand on the child's head, Santa closed
> > >his eyes and prayed. He asked that God touch little
> > >Sarah, and heal her body from this disease. He asked that
> > >angels minister to her, watch and keep her. And when he
> > >finished praying, still with eyes closed, he started
> > >singing softly, "Silent Night, Holy Night .... all is
> > >calm, all is bright." The family joined in, still holding
> > >hands, smiling at Sarah, and crying tears of hope, tears
> > >of joy for this moment, as Sarah beamed at them all. When
> > >the song ended, Santa sat on the side of the bed again and
> > >held Sarah's frail, small hands in his own.
> > >
> > >"Now, Sarah," he said authoritatively, "you have a job to
> > >do, and that is to concentrate on getting well. I want
> > >you to have fun playing with your friends this summer, and
> > >I expect to see you at my house at Mayfair Mall this time
> > >next year!" He knew it was risky proclaiming that, to this
> > >little girl who had terminal cancer, but he "had" to. He
> > >had to give her the greatest gift he could -- not dolls or
> > >games or toys -- but the gift of HOPE.
> > >
> > >"Yes, Santa!" Sarah exclaimed, her eyes bright.
> > >
> > >He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead and left the
> > >room. Out in the hall, the minute Santa's eyes met
> > >Rick's, a look passed between them and they wept
> > >unashamed. Sarah's mother and grandmother slipped out of
> > >the room quickly and rushed to Santa's side to thank him.
> > >
> > >"My only child is the same age as Sarah," he explained
> > >quietly. "This is the least I could do." They nodded with
> > >understanding and hugged him.
> > >
> > >One year later, Santa Mark was again back on the set in
> > >Milwaukee for his six-week, seasonal job which he so loves
> > >to do. Several weeks went by and then one day a child
> > >came up to sit on his lap. "Hi, Santa! Remember me?!"
> > >
> > >"Of course, I do," Santa proclaimed (as he always does),
> > >smiling down at her.
> > >
> > >After all, the secret to being a "good" Santa is to always
> > >make each child feel as if they are the "only" child in
> > >the world at that moment.
> > >
> > >"You came to see me in the hospital last year!" Santa's
> > >jaw dropped.
> > >
> > >Tears immediately sprang in his eyes, and he grabbed this
> > >little miracle and held her to his chest. "Sarah!" he
> > >exclaimed. He scarcely recognized her, for her hair was
> > >long and silky and her cheeks were rosy -- much different
> > >from the little girl he had visited just a year before.
> > >He looked over and saw Sarah's mother and grandmother in
> > >the sidelines smiling and waving and wiping their eyes.
> > >
> > >That was the best Christmas ever for Santa Claus. He had
> > >witnessed --and been blessed to be instrumental in
> > >bringing about -- this miracle of hope. This precious
> > >little child was healed. Cancer-free. Alive and well.
> > >He silently looked up to Heaven and humbly whispered,
> > >"Thank you, Father. 'Tis a very, Merry Christmas!