Baby Mikayla, Christmas and Ben and Laura Borish:
It was 2am at home, snowing outside and Pam was in labor with our third child. She and I were both in denial. We were scheduled for a C-section a week or so from that night. Mikayla was coming. This can't be happening. Our boys are asleep across the hall we'd had a false alarm during the day one Sunday. Is this another one? What do we do? We call people a couple of the people who love us. In the middle of the night.

As I remember it. Laura answered. She sounded awake... which would be crazy because she has three kids of her own. As I told her the situation that was unfolding. Her response was, "What do I need to do? Do you want to bring the kids here? Do you want me to come there?"

Come here.

She was there in 15 minutes. Did I mention she lives 20 minutes away? and it was snowing?

Mikayla was born on Valentines day earlier this year.
But I'm writing this 5 days before Christmas and I'm remembering a few things.

Christmas is about community. It's about asking, "What do I need to do?"
Christmas is about remembering that it was Jesus who also said, "I'm going to come over."

Christmas is about being with the people who make you whole. Christmas is about serving others.

Christmas is about living within a proximity within our imagination that has not walls, that keep us from asking for help. For within these intertwined lives shame begins to disappear and we are more fully ourselves.

Feb 14th 2005 (and many many other days) Laura and Ben were Christ to us.

In the f l e s h.



Seeing a need and meeting it.