Sharing a Miracle

In past posts I've told of Jim's friends that became my friends and about hidden heroes, well, this week-end I was allowed to share in their personal miracle.

Fred and Abby are about to have their 10th wedding anniversary. They were each married before. Fred and his ex had 4 children together and he retained custody of those children and when Abby came into his life after his divorce she helped rear those children. Abby had one child in her first marriage and it was a horrible marriage, with broken bones and beatings inflicted by her then husband, when finally Abby was able to leave the son of a bitch and escape with her child, he tracked her down and kidnapped her precious 8 year old son. For 14 years she didn't know where her son was, hadn't heard from him, she lived in a virtual hell wondering and worrying about her child.

Abby and Fred never talked much of Josh. Since we've became friends they would share bits and pieces of the hurting story, and Jim, Donna, Ron and I would not probe into the details knowing there was more to it than Abby's ex had custody of their son.

Two weeks ago Abby got a call from her former sister in law. Josh had called her to see if she knew anything about his mother, he had given her his e:mail address and asked her to share it with Abby if she could.

Abby immediately sent him an e:mail with her phone number. We had all gathered on this Friday night for one of our impromptu parties. Abby and Fred were sharing this story with us completely when the phone rang. Abby didn't make it to the phone before it stopped ringing but she saw on the caller ID the call was coming from Texas (where she new Josh was at this point). She called the number back, identified herself his first word to her was "Mama"? You can only imagine how emotional that conversation was. The tears of joy and laughter.

Josh had been trying to find his mother's family for the past 2 years his father had kept him separated from even his own family so he couldn't get in touch with his mother. He had told Josh is mother was dead. But Josh remembered his grandmother and now that he was grown and on his own he wanted to talk with his grandmother and find out more of his mother.

Josh flew into town this weekend and for the first time in 14 years he was with his mother. He met Fred and they bonded, we the friends didn't intrude on the reunion until yesterday (Sunday). Then we again had one of those garage parties and met Josh for the first time. The smiles on their faces were huge and perpetual. The laughter, the hugs it was indeed a miracle. ((((HUGS)))) S