Mrs. Claus’s Message
I closed my eyes, as I always did, so I could concentrate on my morning devotions before I got ready for work. Concentrating on anything could be extra hard during the busy holiday season, but it always calmed me to start my day by praying for others or simply giving thanks for my blessings. Today was unusual in that I had a specific request: God, is Mom looking down on me from heaven this Christmas?
It had been more than 20 years since my mother had passed, but the question suddenly seemed important to me. The day before, a coworker had come by my office to tell me about a close call she’d just had. She’d stopped to fill her tank on the way in to work, and just as she was about to pull out of the station, she heard a woman scream. She slammed on her brakes. It was a good thing she did; barely a second later an 18-wheeler going way too fast flew right in front of her. The woman who had screamed must have seen it coming somehow and had probably saved my coworker’s life. But there was no one, not man or woman, anywhere in sight. “That’s when I realized it had to be my mom, looking down from heaven, still keeping me safe,” she said. I felt a little jealous.
Of course God knew all that, and I asked, Please give me a sign that my mom still looks out for me too. That would be the best Christmas gift of all.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
THE ANSWER
Could my husband’s recent retirement explain his behavior?
Sewing Hope
It wasn’t in my power to mend a broken heart, but I sent needle and thread, with chocolates for good measure
Problems? She Can Relate
Meet New Jersey’s Own Black Fairy Godmother
Valentine Angels
Straight from heaven—with love
The Humility Sisters
What would two nuns know about taking care of a baby?
Sophie's Secret
How could a dog know just what so many people needed?
Built by Angels
My mother called to ask if I knew the story of the 11 churches carved from single stones in Ethiopia
ONE RED GLOVE
Its message helped me shake the blues
Clutter, Be Gone!
Fifteen minutes a day keeps the mess away
A housewarming gift
My husband seemed to be in every room— even though I knew he was in heaven
Class of 2020 looking sharp
Certainly 2020 will be remembered as one of the worse of our lives thanks to the pandemic. Future mentions will bring crinkled faces and anguished looks.
Road to playoffs narrows
Seven games to grow. To improve. To ready for 2021. All good things. But to make the 2020 playoffs? It’s not the easiest route.
Pittsburgh's August Wilson African American Cultural Center
LOCATED IN THE HEART of downtown Pittsburgh, on Liberty Avenue close to Union Station and the David Lawrence Convention Center, the sleek and elegant but unpretentious August Wilson African American Cultural Center (awaacc) cannot fail to capture the eye and the imagination of anybody who is visiting Pittsburgh or, for that matter, of anybody who lives in the city.
OH HAIL NO!
With all the craziness that has been going on over the last few months, getting out into the great outdoors has never been more critical. With this in mind, a group of friends from across the state of Colorado met up just outside of the mountain town of Alma to celebrate Independence Day the best way they know-how, enjoying the beauty and challenge of our local mountain trails.
Show News Updates; New Acquisitions; Continuing the Battle Against Fake Bullion
The 2020 World’s Fair of Money®, slated to take place Aug. 4-8 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is suspended, the American Numismatic Association (ANA) announced June 17.
NAVIGATING THE WAY FORWARD
The New Normal in travel hardly seems normal at all – but the journey is still worth the effort
A LOST AMERICAN CLASSIC RETURNS
THE IRON CITY HOUSEROCKERS’ HAVE A GOOD TIME BUT...GET OUT ALIVE IS REISSUED AND REMASTERED FOR ITS 40TH ANNIVERSARY.
Spring's Hidden Gems
Spring brings with it a wide variety of toothsome flavors that can be experienced at off-the-beaten path locations. These hidden gems throughout the country are well worth the travel.
Bills given prime-time boost
Due to the coronavirus, it’s far too early to know if the upcoming NFL season will go according to plan. As it currently sits, however, the Bills are set to get their time in the spotlight.
The Old Man Who Lives Two Floors Below
Down the first twist of stairs and Josie hears she is not alone, like hearing a tree in the wind beyond her bedroom window. The old man: splay-legged before his door like a failing easel, he moves slow as death.