0:00

When When

0:03

it comes to to quiet and

0:05

contemporary elegance, Swiss Swiss Lanjean

0:07

stands out with over with years

0:09

of crafting fine timepieces for

0:11

dress, sport and sport, dress, and

0:13

adventure. Throughout its history, women

0:15

of distinction, including aviation pioneer Amelia

0:18

Earhart, Academy Award Jennifer Lawrence, and

0:20

Alpine skier Michaela Shifrin. have relied

0:22

on Lanjean for their their

0:24

needs. One of Lanjean's most

0:26

sought -after models, the models, the mini

0:28

this tradition this icon of the

0:30

an icon of the Art elegance and

0:32

functionality. and collection is a modern

0:34

extension of the original of the inspired

0:36

by a inspired by a from 1927. 1927.

0:38

You can choose the classic stainless

0:41

steel case or opt for the eye

0:43

-catching diamond bezel. So if So if

0:45

you're looking for that perfect gift

0:47

for a special someone or treating

0:49

yourself this holiday season, visit visit Topper

0:51

to explore the full collection of of

0:53

for women. Mention this ad for

0:55

a special surprise that will make

0:57

your experience memorable. watching. memorable. next the Hello

1:23

and welcome to teachers. I'm I'm your

1:25

host, Samantha Samantha host, Faye. And I'm I'm Deb

1:27

And And welcome to one of

1:29

my favorite shows of the year the

1:31

we get to share happy holiday

1:34

stories of kindness. They just

1:36

remind us what the real reason

1:38

for this season is. No matter

1:40

what holiday you are celebrating this

1:42

year, I have always believed that

1:44

there is a magic in the

1:46

air during this whole month because

1:49

everyone is focused on nostalgia and

1:51

warm memories and love and love and giving

1:53

sharing and I really do think

1:55

that through that through the it does

1:57

create an energy of magic. of

1:59

magic. Yes, I love the light

2:02

symbolism in this holiday. And speaking

2:04

of which, let's start this first

2:06

story off about a firefighters who

2:08

gave a family a Christmas to

2:10

remember in December 2019, a group

2:12

of firefighters in Michigan went above

2:14

and beyond the call of duty

2:17

to make sure a struggling family

2:19

didn't go without during the holidays.

2:21

A mother who had recently lost

2:23

her job was struggling to buy

2:25

gifts and prepare a holiday meal

2:27

for her children. She reached out

2:29

to a local fire department to

2:31

ask if they could help with

2:33

a small donation. The firefighters decided

2:35

to do much more than donate

2:37

money. They pooled all their resources

2:40

and bought gifts for the children

2:42

and delivered them in person to

2:44

the family's home. But the generosity

2:46

didn't stop there. The firefighters also

2:48

bought along a full holiday meal,

2:50

complete with turkey stuffing and all

2:52

the traditional signs. The mother overcome

2:54

with the motion couldn't believe the

2:56

kindness of the firefighters. I never

2:58

expected something like this, she said.

3:00

They made sure my kids had

3:02

Christmas and they did it when

3:04

I thought all was hopeless. The

3:06

firefighters' selflessness turned that Christmas into

3:08

one the family would never forget.

3:10

It was a powerful reminder that

3:12

kindness is not just about giving

3:14

material things, but offering support. care

3:16

and warmth during times of needs.

3:18

And Samantha, you just need to

3:20

know, I'm going to cry my

3:23

way through this episode. You tell.

3:25

Okay, here you go, it's your

3:27

turn. But it is such a

3:29

beautiful reminder that it's not even

3:31

that the firefighters responded and did

3:33

all this wonderful stuff. It's that

3:35

that reminder that we really aren't

3:37

alone. Sometimes we have to ask

3:39

for that help, but we are

3:41

not alone. This next story was

3:43

shared by Chuck Casio and reminds

3:45

us how important it is to

3:47

really see people and help them

3:49

when we can He writes when

3:51

I was in college freshman year

3:53

I was kind of in a

3:55

funk talking to women. I guess

3:57

that happens when you adjust from

3:59

a small high school to a

4:01

huge college, but I was shire

4:03

than I normally was. Well, I

4:06

was at a party before the

4:08

holiday break and caught a girl's

4:10

eye, and despite being shy, I

4:12

summoned the courage to talk to

4:14

her. What resulted was me being

4:16

really embarrassed. I don't recall exactly

4:18

what happened, but it was along

4:20

the lines of, I said high,

4:22

Try somewhere else. Threes shouldn't talk

4:24

to tens. Can you imagine? Oh,

4:26

sorry. That's horrible. Horrible. He says,

4:28

I also remember her saying it

4:30

really loud and a few guys

4:32

nearby laughing loudly about it and

4:34

going on to exclaim that I

4:36

got rejected. Well, I walked to

4:38

another room to escape and felt

4:40

someone following me. I turned around

4:42

to literally see the most beautiful

4:44

woman I've ever seen in my

4:46

entire four years of college. She

4:49

wanted to tell me that the

4:51

girl I spoke to and her

4:53

friends have been playing a game

4:55

where they get guys to talk

4:57

to them and then reject them.

4:59

and that I should just shrug

5:01

it off. She told me to

5:03

stick with her the rest of

5:05

the night, and I would be

5:07

her boyfriend. She was a senior

5:09

about to graduate. I was just

5:11

ending my first semester. But literally

5:13

that one act of kindness gave

5:15

me my confidence back, and I

5:17

dropped the newly acquired shyness that

5:19

I had developed. I saw her

5:21

a few times around campus after

5:23

that, and she'd run up and

5:25

give me a huge hug. That

5:27

would be a great feeling for

5:29

anyone, let alone her. She even

5:32

sent me messages throughout my time

5:34

in college just to see how

5:36

I'd to see how I'd to

5:38

see how I'd, was doing. Nice

5:40

and who on people who are

5:42

mean like that? I know what

5:44

is that? I don't know. It's

5:46

horrible but it just takes one

5:48

person to notice and see that

5:50

and region to help and it

5:52

changed everything changes whole college experience.

5:54

Well how about that? Okay our

5:56

next one's a little different than

5:58

that. It's about a possible angel

6:00

helping rescue a woman from a

6:02

plane crash. In 1982, Air Florida

6:04

Flight 90 crashed into the Potomac

6:06

River shortly after takeoff. Among the

6:08

passengers was a woman named Priscilla

6:10

Tirado, who was pulled from the

6:12

wreckage by a man described as

6:15

an angelic figure. After the crash,

6:17

Priscilla recalled seeing the man in

6:19

a white suit with glowing skin

6:21

who helped her out of the

6:23

water. When emergency responders arrived, the

6:25

man had vanished. Many who survived

6:27

the crash have reported similar accounts

6:29

of an unknown figure who helped

6:31

him escape. I love stories like

6:33

that. I love when they're validated

6:35

by other witnesses. Me too. That's

6:37

great. And it reminds me of

6:39

something I say a lot, and

6:41

I talk about this in my

6:43

book, Heavenly Alliance. I really believe

6:45

that our spirit guides are here

6:47

to help us every day with

6:49

all the little and big things.

6:51

I think our angels come in

6:53

when we have gone off our

6:55

sole plan, like something has intruded

6:58

into our sole plan, like a

7:00

plane crash, like a car accident,

7:02

and then they are given that

7:04

permission without us asking for help

7:06

to come in and reach us

7:08

if it's not in our sole

7:10

plan. to be a part of

7:12

that wreck or that crash or

7:14

whatever that incident is. This next

7:16

story helps us remember how important

7:18

it is to just put an

7:20

arm around someone or lend a

7:22

helping hand when you can. This

7:24

man writes, my first wife abandoned

7:26

us when my son was an

7:28

infant. It was rough, but I

7:30

survived. One evening I was at

7:32

a holiday dinner with some friends.

7:34

I had to change the baby,

7:36

but there was no table in

7:38

the men's room. I asked a

7:41

lady leaving the lady's room if

7:43

it was empty, and she checked

7:45

for me and gave me the

7:47

okay. While I was trying to

7:49

get my diaper bag sorted, she

7:51

came up and offered to change

7:53

him. I told her I had

7:55

it, but she insisted and put

7:57

her arm around me. Apparently, I've

7:59

been home. in a breakdown the

8:01

whole time and she saw right

8:03

through it. I cried for a

8:05

whole minute while a total stranger

8:07

changed my infant son. I thanked

8:09

her profusely and went back to

8:11

the holiday dinner with my friends,

8:13

but this time I was carrying

8:15

a little less weight on my

8:17

shoulders. I have no clue who

8:19

she was, but she was an

8:21

angel to me that night. Ugh.

8:24

Does that, I mean, that brings

8:26

back memories of just a crying

8:28

baby in a crowded restaurant. As

8:30

a woman, it's, you know, I

8:32

just go into a lady's room

8:34

and you pull down the little

8:36

diaper changing table and you change

8:38

your child, but as a man,

8:40

I hadn't thought about that. They

8:42

don't have men's diaper changing tables

8:44

in their restroom, so there was

8:46

so much more he had to

8:48

consider. And this woman saw all

8:50

of that and just helped him.

8:52

And the fact that the minute

8:54

she put her arm around him,

8:56

that's when he cried. He cried.

8:58

You know, and he said, I

9:00

didn't even know I'd been holding

9:02

this in the whole time. I

9:04

think a lot of us can

9:07

resonate with that because you try

9:09

so hard to be strong and

9:11

just get through and keep calm,

9:13

carry on. So I just love

9:15

that story of an Earth angel.

9:17

You know, in our area, these

9:19

days, there are restaurants and places

9:21

that have what's called a family

9:23

rest room, which is such a

9:25

great idea. It is so that

9:27

anybody and everybody can use it

9:29

and there's a changing table in

9:31

there. Isn't that great. Hello. You

9:33

know, I just have to say

9:35

as an aside, I love Eddie

9:37

Murphy. I think he's a fantastic

9:39

comedian. I've watched Eddie Murphy Raw

9:41

a thousand times, but he was

9:43

interviewed last year and Oprah asked

9:45

him, what is he most proud

9:47

of? And he said, don't judge

9:50

me, but I'm most proud that

9:52

I have all these kids that

9:54

I've never changed a diaper. Oh.

9:56

Oh no. Yeah, I still love

9:58

him, but that just made me

10:00

so sad. And I had a...

10:02

male co-worker for several years who

10:04

had in his wife had just

10:06

had their third child and he

10:08

had a bumper sticker taped to

10:10

his office store that said real

10:12

men change diapers. Oh, I love

10:14

that. I love him. I love

10:16

it. Okay, moving on. Oh no.

10:18

All right, I'm going to try.

10:20

This next story is so touching

10:22

in its love about animals and

10:24

humanity. Person writes last winter. Our

10:26

dog was hit by a car.

10:28

A couple witnessed the hit and

10:30

run and saw our dog limping

10:32

into the woods. They followed her

10:35

to try to save her. After

10:37

searching the woods without finding our

10:39

dog, a hunter in the wood

10:41

offered his hunting dogs to track

10:43

her scent. The dog ended up

10:45

leading this group of strangers to

10:47

our dog. They called me and

10:49

then wrapped her up and we

10:51

met at the nearest fed emergency

10:53

room. After the shock of

10:55

seeing our dog with a broken jaw

10:57

and protruding eye, the couple said to

11:00

us, I know you are young and

11:02

I know what it's like to be

11:04

young. We can help pay for this.

11:07

The whole thing restored our faith in

11:09

humanity. And I hate this show. All

11:11

right, I'm going to try. The whole

11:13

thing restored our faith in humanity. Our

11:16

dog is alive and kicking after almost

11:18

a year. but not without the complete

11:20

kindness of strangers. I love that and

11:22

I love like I this is something

11:25

my sister and I we were just

11:27

talking about this this weekend like if

11:29

we had that that beautiful buffer of

11:32

enough money you know that that feeling

11:34

of I have plenty of money what

11:36

would we do like what charity would

11:38

we give to what we do and

11:41

we both said we would like to

11:43

do stuff like this rather than just,

11:45

you know, write a check to some

11:47

institution, but just one-on-one really help people

11:50

that we see in need. Like, wouldn't

11:52

that be so amazing? be wonderful to

11:54

be able to do both. Yeah, well,

11:57

you know, I mean, there certainly are

11:59

large scale organizations that I see doing

12:01

such great work, particularly, I mean, you

12:03

know, in the Western part of North

12:06

Carolina, we have seen that over and

12:08

over again with, with certain organizations. And

12:10

at the same time, you know, I

12:12

get a phone call from a friend

12:15

who says, I was so happy to

12:17

finally hear from him. And I said,

12:19

what do you need? And he said,

12:22

cat food. And it, that was in

12:24

the very early days after the storm.

12:26

And I was managed to figure out

12:28

a way to get cat food to

12:31

him. One person, you know? Wow. So,

12:33

I think I've told the story before,

12:35

but I remember it was right before

12:37

Christmas, the year I was dealing with

12:40

my breast cancer diagnosis. and my dog

12:42

got really really sick and needed surgery

12:44

and then she didn't make it. So

12:47

the expense of the surgery bill and

12:49

then the expense of, you know, burying

12:51

her and all of that, I got

12:53

that bill and the bill from the

12:56

hospital for my surgeries on the same

12:58

day. like two weeks before Christmas. Yeah,

13:00

and I remember I was sitting in

13:03

pickup line at the kid's school and

13:05

I just started to cry and I

13:07

was like, what am I going to

13:09

do? And I said to my mother-in-law

13:12

in heaven, I was like, Maggie, you

13:14

got to help us. Like, how am

13:16

I going to do all of this?

13:18

And the next day I come home

13:21

and there was a card in the

13:23

mail from my father-in-law with a check

13:25

in it, randomly. That was the exact

13:28

amount I needed for both bills. I

13:30

don't know how he knew. I know

13:32

for a fact, his son was way

13:34

too proud to ask or tell him

13:37

or say anything. I don't know how

13:39

he knew. And I just remember driving

13:41

over to his house and thinking him

13:43

and hugging him and, you know, tough

13:46

Tony didn't like hugs, but I was

13:48

going to make him hug me then.

13:50

It was... It was such a Christmas

13:53

miracle for me. Oh, I'm so glad.

13:55

I tell us this next story. Okay,

13:57

this next story is about a friend

13:59

acting as an angel, and it was

14:02

written by Tammy Rubito. She says on

14:04

a Friday evening in December, two weeks

14:06

before Christmas, I lost my job. I

14:08

hadn't seen it coming. I was excited

14:11

for the weekend when my daughter Crystal

14:13

then 12 and I planned to get

14:15

our Christmas tree. Then I listened to

14:18

my voicemail. We're sorry, but your work

14:20

assignment has ended as of today. As

14:22

of today. Ugh, imagine getting fired over

14:24

a voicemail. Horrible. Horrible. She says my

14:27

heart sank. I wasn't just a single

14:29

parent. I was the only parent. My

14:31

paycheck was survival. I did everything I

14:33

could to give Crystal a good life,

14:36

but there were some things my love

14:38

couldn't fix. The next day, as we

14:40

searched for our tree, I struggled to

14:43

be cheerful as I eyed the Christmas

14:45

tree prices. Is everything okay? she asked,

14:47

you seemed worried. Oh, I got some

14:49

bad news yesterday, I told her, I

14:52

lost my job. Oh no, she said,

14:54

well I have $100 that grandma gave

14:56

me that I can give you. Absolutely

14:58

not, I told her. Monday morning I

15:01

dropped crystal at school and set off

15:03

on my money-making pursuits. Looking for where

15:05

to sell stuff I headed to the

15:08

pawn shop with a garnet ring set

15:10

in 14-carret gold that my mother had

15:12

given me a decade earlier. Best I

15:14

can do is 70 bucks, the owner

15:17

said. The stones are worthless. We're only

15:19

interested in the gold. Next was the

15:21

antique store. I sold six precious moments

15:24

figurines for $150. I ended the day

15:26

$220 richer. Not bad. Over the next

15:28

week, I furiously applied for jobs as

15:30

my bank account grew smaller and smaller.

15:33

I felt as if the world was

15:35

closing in on me. On a weekend

15:37

afternoon, I dropped Crystal in a wealthy

15:39

gated community for a birthday party. I

15:42

watched as she went in surrounded by

15:44

all the nice things we couldn't afford.

15:46

I drove home defeated. Back at home

15:49

I glanced out the window. It had

15:51

been snowing on and off all morning.

15:53

I noticed a petite woman with short

15:55

white hair struggling to open her car

15:58

door against the wind. As she got

16:00

out, I realized it was my old

16:02

professor, Sister Esther Heffernan. I hadn't seen

16:04

her since we'd met for lunch three

16:07

months ago. I'd first met her ten

16:09

years earlier when I was a student

16:11

at college. Crystal was three at the

16:14

time, and I sometimes took her to

16:16

class. Sister Esther was understanding and would

16:18

bring coloring books to occupy Crystal. After

16:20

I graduated, she kept in touch meeting

16:23

me for lunch every few months. I

16:25

had grown to love her like family.

16:27

I rushed to the front of my

16:29

building. What are you doing out in

16:32

this weather? I asked as we hugged.

16:34

Well, I tried to call last week,

16:36

but I couldn't get through. Then I

16:39

called your job and they said you

16:41

weren't working there anymore, so I thought

16:43

I'd come by. I have a couple

16:45

of gifts for you and Crystal. I

16:48

made her a cup of tea and

16:50

we talked. Just being and sister Esther

16:52

Esther's presents, Esther's presence presents, gave me,

16:54

This is for you, she said, as

16:57

she kissed me on the cheek. I

16:59

walked her to her car and waved

17:01

as she pulled away. When I opened

17:04

her card, I gasped in shock. There

17:06

was money inside. Hundred dollar bills fell

17:08

onto the table. Tears of gratitude puddled

17:10

in my eyes as I counted. Sister

17:13

Esther had given me a thousand dollars.

17:15

On Christmas morning, Crystal and I gathered

17:17

around our tree, and I joyfully watched

17:19

as she opened her Christmas gifts. I

17:22

silently thank Sister Esther in my heart.

17:24

It's been 14 years since that Christmas,

17:26

but I've never forgotten what Sister Esther

17:29

did for us. In 2020 at age

17:31

91, Sister Esther died, but the love

17:33

she gave during her life lives on

17:35

in the hearts of many. I am

17:38

lucky to be one of them. No.

17:40

Isn't that beautiful? It is a deed.

17:42

How lovely. Just to see a need

17:45

and be able to meet it and

17:47

reach out and help and not ask

17:49

for anything in return, just the joy

17:51

of giving. That's what the season's all

17:54

about. Isn't it though? All right, well,

17:56

let's take a quick break and we'll

17:58

be right back. Hi

18:04

folks and a very happy

18:06

new year to you. If

18:09

your resolutions and commitments for

18:11

this year include learning more

18:13

about yourself and your relationship

18:16

to Universal Energy, then you

18:18

might find the e-booklets and

18:20

reports I offer on my

18:22

website helpful. Consider an animal

18:25

guides report or a numerology

18:27

report. My Moon Magic and

18:29

More e-booklet helps you connect

18:31

to the cycles of the

18:34

moon, and it's not too

18:36

early to think about gardening

18:38

with my spiritual gardening e-booklet.

18:41

So find these options and

18:43

many more on my website

18:45

at Deb bowen.com. When

18:48

it comes to quiet luxury it

18:50

comes to quiet luxury and

18:52

contemporary elegance, Swiss Langein stands

18:55

out with over of years

18:57

of crafting fine for for dress,

18:59

sport and adventure. Throughout its

19:01

history, women of distinction including Welcome

19:49

back. Deb, do you want to

19:51

share our next one? I do.

19:53

Our next one is entitled The

19:55

Angel of the Gunman, the story

19:57

of the Kansas Bank robbery in

19:59

2000. three, a bank in Kansas

20:02

was held up by an armed

20:04

gunman. The story told by one

20:06

of the bank tellers reveals that

20:08

just as the gunman was about

20:10

to fire, a man suddenly appeared

20:13

behind him and whispered in his

20:15

ear. The gunman dropped the weapon

20:17

and fled the scene without harming

20:19

anyone. The mysterious figure was described

20:21

as an angelic presence and after

20:23

the robbery was over. The teller

20:26

looked around for the man who

20:28

had intervened and found no trace

20:30

of him. Now, here's a question

20:32

I have about that one. These

20:34

days, and I don't know whether

20:36

it was two in 2003, but

20:39

I bet it was, there are

20:41

cameras trained on every teller in

20:43

every bank. I mean, there every

20:45

move is recorded on a TV

20:47

thing. Wonder if anybody saw this

20:50

man on the angel kind of

20:52

guy on a video camera. Yeah,

20:54

me too. I don't know, I

20:56

mean, that was, you know, about

20:58

almost 22 years ago now. I

21:00

watched a fascinating documentary on a

21:03

bank robber who really did get

21:05

away with it for many many

21:07

years, and he specifically picked small

21:09

banks that didn't have cameras until

21:11

he got bolder. So I wonder

21:14

if, and this was right around

21:16

that same time, so I wonder

21:18

if back then the smaller banks

21:20

didn't have cameras. Very likely.

21:22

That may be, you may be right

21:24

about that. All right, this next one

21:26

was contributed by Tess Carson and is

21:29

a comforting story of loved ones helping

21:31

each other in moments of grief. She

21:33

writes, my dad had a funny habit

21:35

of barking at our elderly Shih Tzu

21:37

Daisy whenever he came to our house.

21:39

Woof, woof, he'd say, and Daisy would

21:41

wag her tail and bark back. Good

21:43

dog, he'd praise her. It always made

21:45

me smile. Dad had dementia and lived

21:48

in a senior community not too far

21:50

from us. I hadn't been able to

21:52

visit him for months because of COVID

21:54

restrictions, so we would have regular face-time

21:56

calls. Each day when I talked with

21:58

my father... we had the same ritual.

22:00

He'd bark at Daisy, he'd shout, hi

22:02

buddy at my husband Steve, then he'd

22:04

tell me what he'd eaten for lunch

22:07

and dinner and who had called him.

22:09

I didn't know if dad was making

22:11

everything up or if he actually remembered

22:13

the events of his day. He'd ask

22:15

what I'd been up to and I

22:17

would give him a full report though

22:19

I was never confident how much dad

22:21

really retained. I could only pray that

22:23

those calls meant as much to him

22:26

as they did to me. As the

22:28

months rolled on, dad's memory worsened as

22:30

we knew it would. He would tell

22:32

me that no one had called even

22:34

though I knew my brother had just

22:36

spoken with him. About the same time,

22:38

Daisy, who was nearly 16 years old

22:40

and diabetic, began to decline significantly. She

22:42

wouldn't eat regularly and bumped into walls.

22:44

That November, dad's health took a turn.

22:47

He bounced back and forth from a

22:49

nursing home to the hospital. The day

22:51

before he passed away in December, I

22:53

was allowed to visit him to say

22:55

goodbye. As I grieved, I prayed we

22:57

wouldn't lose Daisy too. Steve and I

22:59

discussed whether we needed to have her

23:01

put to sleep. Daisy's vet said she

23:03

wasn't in pain and to give her

23:06

extra love. So that's exactly what we

23:08

did. Then one February afternoon, Daisy collapsed.

23:10

Steve and I took shifts holding her

23:12

wrapped in a blanket. In silence, I

23:14

rocked her. God, I don't know if

23:16

I can stay in more heartache, I

23:18

prayed I prayed I prayed I prayed.

23:20

I prayed. I prayed. I prayed. I

23:22

prayed. I prayed. The next morning while

23:25

I was doing dishes, I felt an

23:27

urge to ask my father. Dad, help

23:29

Daisy cross over. I distinctly heard my

23:31

father's voice bark out. Woof! A few

23:33

moments later, Steve came into the kitchen

23:35

and told me that Daisy had passed.

23:37

Thank you, Dad, I whispered through my

23:39

tears. I smiled. Oh. Oh. I know,

23:41

that one's very sad. But it's lovely

23:43

to think that our loved ones hear

23:46

us, they watch over us, and they

23:48

can help us with our request, our

23:50

prayers from the heart. And I like

23:52

the idea of knowing that Daisy wasn't

23:54

alone when she passed

23:56

that her little granddaddy

23:58

was there to

24:00

bring her over with

24:02

a wolf. her over Oh,

24:05

I think that's wonderful. think that's Oh,

24:07

I know, I know. Okay. Okay,

24:09

we've shared this one before, we've

24:11

shared this one before, but it's such

24:13

a wonderful example of the magic swirling around

24:15

us this season. But we thought we

24:17

really needed to share it again. to share

24:20

called It's balloon

24:22

that Balloon That Could. When -year

24:24

-old Kayani Page gave

24:26

her mom mom, Sheena, her Christmas

24:28

list, Sheena's heart sank. because

24:31

she knew she wouldn't be able to get

24:33

everything on the list. everything on girl

24:35

asks for three girl asked for three

24:37

things. PC Some light

24:40

up shoes. and a and a turtle,

24:42

since her pet turtle had

24:44

just died. told news reporters. We

24:46

news reporters, we usually send letters

24:48

to Santa in the put them in

24:50

the mailbox at the mall. this

24:52

But this year, Coyote wanted to

24:55

do something different. She wanted

24:57

to tie it it to a so it

24:59

would get it would get to Santa

25:01

faster. it or not, the balloon

25:03

did make it to Santa did make Santa

25:05

Claus, Indiana. Santa Claus,

25:07

Indiana, balloon floated

25:10

intact. floated landed 800

25:12

miles away in a

25:14

town called Santa Santa

25:16

Indiana. Rachel Gofenet

25:18

found the balloon

25:20

in her yard and

25:22

decided to purchase

25:24

everything on Kayana's list. She located

25:27

the through the address on the

25:29

balloon on the balloon and the child's school

25:31

to tell them what she planned to

25:33

do. she The school do. The school mother

25:35

who said she was in shock. I

25:37

couldn't believe she she told reporters.

25:40

I couldn't What are the odds that

25:42

a balloon with a piece

25:44

of paper attached to it would

25:46

sail 800 miles sail land in

25:48

a town called in a town called

25:50

Santa If that's not Christmas Christmas

25:52

we don't know what it

25:54

is. what is. That's my

25:57

favorite story. story. you

25:59

know you know, environmentalist in me goes,

26:01

don't, I know, balloon go off,

26:03

you know, same, yep, I know,

26:05

but, but the other side of

26:07

the story is just so, so

26:09

very lovely. Samantha, I went a

26:11

couple of weeks ago to a

26:13

memorial service for a friend's brother,

26:15

and part of the ceremony was

26:17

they released those lanterns, into the

26:19

sky, and they, they were biodegradable

26:21

organic lander and kind of things.

26:23

We talked about that. But they

26:25

were just, it was just a

26:27

lovely ritual. And as they floated

26:29

out, we were down on the

26:31

water and as they floated out

26:33

across the island, I thought, oh,

26:35

please don't fall and burn anything,

26:37

but they didn't always, was well,

26:39

but I was nervous about it,

26:41

but they sure were pretty. I

26:43

mean, just to think of this

26:45

balloon with a piece of paper.

26:47

I mean, it must have rained.

26:50

I mean, the fact that it

26:52

landed, have you ever seen a

26:54

balloon land? No. It lands in

26:56

a tree, way up high, and

26:58

it stuck, or what have you,

27:00

but it landed in someone's yard.

27:02

It's just amazing, isn't it? Yeah,

27:04

it really is. Okay, this next

27:06

one is called Exes and O's

27:08

and is a lovely reminder of

27:10

the powerful way love shifts, changes,

27:12

evolves, and grows, even through divorce

27:14

and heartache. It's written by Natalie

27:16

Riley. She writes, Billy, my ex-husband

27:18

of nine years, was walking me

27:20

to my car. I had just

27:22

dropped our two teenage boys off

27:24

at his house Christmas morning. It's

27:26

been our tradition since the divorce.

27:28

After powering down breakfast and rifling

27:30

through stockings at my place, I

27:32

pack up the car with the

27:34

boys and head over to their

27:36

dad's house, never bothering to change

27:38

out of our Christmas bejays. It's

27:40

at his house that we exchanged

27:42

gifts and pleasantries, and then, after

27:44

a bundle of Christmas hugs and

27:46

kisses from my kids, I head

27:48

back home with empty arms to

27:50

spend the rest of the day

27:52

with my mother. I know it's

27:54

not idyllic, but it's as close

27:56

as we can get considering. Over

27:58

the past couple of years, our

28:00

little tradition has included the new

28:02

woman in Billy's life, Lisa. Even

28:05

though I like her and she's

28:07

good to my boys, it's a

28:09

little disturbing when you find yourself

28:11

sharing your family with another woman,

28:13

especially on Christmas. But such is

28:15

life when you're in a divorce

28:17

situation. I suppose it was a

28:19

little harder on me this year

28:21

because I just lost my job.

28:23

I guess you could say I

28:25

was already feeling a little emotional,

28:27

alone, and left out in the

28:29

cold. Natalie, my ex-husband Billy, whispered

28:31

from out of the blue as

28:33

we ambled to my jeep, you

28:35

know I love you, right? His

28:37

eyes unexpectedly weld up with tears

28:39

that caught me off guard. Those

28:41

familiar eyes that brought back so

28:43

many wonderful Christmas memories. I know

28:45

I whispered as tears weld up

28:47

in my own eyes. I love

28:49

you too. It's not quite the

28:51

exchange one might expect between two

28:53

ex-spouses with an ocean's worth of

28:55

water under the bridge, but before

28:57

I knew it we were locked

28:59

in an embrace, both of us

29:01

weeping. What is it about Christmas

29:03

that brings people together, temporarily lowering

29:05

their defenses, those protective walls we

29:07

build around our hearts? It was

29:09

as if just for a moment

29:11

we were all alone, the two

29:13

of us held together by the

29:15

warmth of what was and what

29:18

is now our family. Meanwhile, deep

29:20

down inside, I knew that Lisa

29:22

and the boys were inside waiting

29:24

for him. She would be making

29:26

breakfast and Christmas memories of her

29:28

own with my family, my children.

29:30

That's not always an easy pill

29:32

to swallow. Even though I know

29:34

in my heart, I wouldn't change

29:36

a thing, even if I could.

29:38

We have two great kids together,

29:40

Nat, and I wouldn't have wanted

29:42

to take that walk with anyone

29:44

but you, Billy said with a

29:46

smile. Ditto, I said smiling back.

29:48

We gave each other a warm

29:50

peck on our cheeks and wished

29:52

one another a Merry Christmas. And

29:54

it was then, as he tucked

29:56

me in my car, shutting the

29:58

door behind me, that I realized

30:00

that even though life has a

30:02

way of breaking our hearts and

30:04

even breaking our families apart, at

30:06

times, love is never really lost.

30:08

In fact, it can be found

30:10

in some of the simplest places,

30:12

many of them locked tight in

30:14

those Christmas memories both old and

30:16

new. I just love that story

30:18

because I know a lot of

30:20

us are navigating Christmas and Thanksgiving

30:22

and Hanukkah and all sorts of

30:24

holidays post-divorce and it can be

30:26

really hard and new and complicated

30:28

and I think this is just

30:30

such a wonderful reminder that two

30:33

people were brought together in love

30:35

and created children in love and

30:37

even though that has shifted and

30:39

changed, it's still a different form

30:41

of love that you can use

30:43

to really help families learn how

30:45

to reconnect. Oh, it is nice

30:47

and wouldn't it be nice if

30:49

there were folks who could have

30:51

such a lovely connection, even though

30:53

it's different than when it was

30:55

before? Yeah, yeah, I definitely think

30:57

it's possible. I just think one

30:59

person has to model it, but

31:01

I think this is just a

31:03

really great, even though it's bittersweet,

31:05

a great reminder that it can

31:07

happen. Okay, our next one says

31:09

Christmas arrived early for a 53-year-old

31:11

cracker waitress who received an unexpected

31:13

gift. from the group of 12

31:15

strangers she served. Janet Ballard, who's

31:17

worked at the Dublin Georgia restaurant

31:19

for more than a decade, was

31:21

tipped $1,200 by the diner, who

31:23

each gave $100, reports for Today

31:25

Show. The generous gift even came

31:27

in a Christmas card. She opened

31:29

it and was stunned to find

31:31

the cash inside. It came at

31:33

the right time as Ballard needed

31:35

to pay her taxes and car

31:37

payment. Counting the money, I got

31:39

so choked up by the time

31:41

I got to 400, she said.

31:43

They wanted me to count out

31:46

loud. I had 12 total strangers

31:48

say, hey, we care enough about

31:50

you because of how you make

31:52

us feel when we are dining.

31:54

We want to be a blessing

31:56

to you and your family. The

31:58

group of 12 diners choose someone

32:00

new each holiday. season to share

32:02

their blessings with. What a lovely

32:04

tradition. I know I love that.

32:06

I hope someone listening to this

32:08

is like, oh you know my

32:10

book club and I should do

32:12

that or my writers group and

32:14

I should do that or or

32:16

what have you because it's it's

32:18

just a great way again to

32:20

share the magic of this season.

32:22

It really is. That's just lovely.

32:24

Okay let's take our last break

32:26

and we'll be right back with

32:28

a wonderful story about forgiveness and

32:30

healing. through grief that can sometimes

32:32

pop up and during this season.

32:34

The new year is here and

32:36

that means it's time to focus

32:38

on what you want to manifest

32:40

for 2025. Join me on January

32:42

8th at 7 p.m. Eastern via

32:44

Zoom to learn how to create

32:46

a goalbook that will truly change

32:48

your life and put you in

32:50

the driver's seat. Also, in February,

32:52

I'm teaching my Be Your Own

32:54

Psychit class, and Denise and I

32:56

are going to be teaching our

32:58

medium-ship classes as well. All courses

33:01

come with great guided meditations and

33:03

lots of handouts. Each class is

33:05

taught live, but also recorded, so

33:07

if you can't be there in

33:09

person, no worries. You'll get the

33:11

recorded class emailed to you the

33:13

next day. Just go to Samantha

33:15

faye.com and click the Upcoming Events

33:17

tab for more information. When

33:20

it comes to quiet luxury it

33:22

comes to quiet luxury and

33:24

contemporary elegance, Swiss Langein stands

33:26

out with over of years

33:28

of crafting fine for for dress,

33:31

sport and adventure. Throughout its

33:33

history, women of distinction including Thank

44:28

you for listening to psychic teachers,

44:30

ear podcasts for seekers, light workers,

44:32

mystics, and magical thinkers. If you

44:34

like the show, please tell a

44:36

friend or leave us a review

44:39

wherever you listen to your podcast.

44:41

For more information, check out our

44:43

Facebook page, psychic teachers, or our

44:45

websites, samanthavey.com, and Deb Bowen. Thanks

44:47

for listening and have a great

44:49

week. When

44:54

it comes to quiet luxury it

44:56

comes to quiet luxury and

44:58

contemporary elegance, Swiss Langein stands

45:01

out with over of years

45:03

of crafting fine for for dress,

45:05

sport and adventure. Throughout its

45:07

history, women of distinction including memorable.