Three years ago I put a call out to the universe. I was struggling. The cancer saga was wearing on and on, and my health and finances were circling the drain. Everything was heavy. Our family and precious little girls were walking into the hardest days of our lives. Everything was hard, everything hurt, and the holidays were upon us.

I wanted so badly to spare my children from another let down. Christmas had always been a magical time, and I knew we were heading into the season without. There was no money, and a few days after Christmas I was going to have to leave to have treatment in Seattle. I would be gone for two months. It hurt like hell.

All I could think about was how to shape-shift this terrible nightmare. How could I reframe the holidays into the joy and peace that we had always experienced when things were not at all joyful or peaceful. I asked my hive: “How can I fix this?”

I was in search of advice. How do I harden myself? How do I reinforce the spines of this family and our precious little girls? The answer? You don’t have to.

People from all over created a Christmas miracle for us. They purchased presents and donated their time to help us create the most magical Christmas we have ever had. The love that was showered upon us not only brightened our dark skies, it convinced me of the power of love and the reality of miracles.

That experience has never left me. My girls never knew the financial heartache we were facing. They were given the gift of normalcy in that harried time in our lives. For those babies, Christmas was just as magical, if not more so, than it had ever been. They got their lives back that holiday season. They got to just be little, be loved, and that was more than enough.

Finally, our family had a surplus. Not just because we were gifted items (for which we were incredibly grateful), but because we were showered with love. This year, as my office adopts a family, I know they will have the same experience of abundance that we had that year. I know what it means to have a miracle show up. I know how deeply that love is felt.

I will never be able to repay the angels that made our year that Christmas, but I will spend my life paying it forward. Because of that love and generosity, a tidal wave has been released that will continue to rain down on those in need for my entire life. I am so grateful for the gift of giving – both in receiving in our time of need and sharing in my time of plenty. Thank you all for helping me learn that beautiful lesson.

Give ‘Em Hell