There are no coincidences when it comes to people crossing our paths!!
In the words of C.S. Lewis on friendship:
“In friendship…we think we have chosen our peers. In reality a few years’ difference in the dates of our births, a few more miles between certain houses, the choice of one university instead of another…the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting–any of these chances might have kept us apart. But, for a Christian, there are, strictly speaking no chances. A secret master of
ceremonies has been at work.
Christ, who said to the disciples, “Ye have not chosen me, but I
have chosen you,” can truly say to every group of Christian
friends, “Ye have not chosen one another but I have chosen you
for one another.” The friendship is not a reward for our
discriminating and good taste in finding one another out. It is
the instrument by which God reveals to each of us the beauties
of others."
A chance meeting at an airport back in 2005 brought a very special family into my life through incredible circumstances. A wounded Marine being transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital (now Walter Reed) via Andrews AF Base with his parents, a brother arriving at Dulles Airport from Atlanta to meet them at the hospital, my mother, sister and I arriving at Dulles from a cruise. These are the people God has aligned to cross paths in this story. The likelihood of what transpired at that point is nothing short of a miracle.
In that short time we were at the airport an announcement was made "will the Marine Corps liaison please come to the travel desk." By now you know that due to my nephew Alex's being a US Marine, my awareness of all things Marine related is heightened to where an announcement such as that compelled me to investigate. I found a young man at the travel desk and I inquired if there was something I might do to assist. This is when I met Dani Pereira from Atlanta who had been waiting hours for his contact to get him to the Naval hospital. My family had a shuttle bus arriving any minute and we live a mile from the hospital. I offered Dani a ride and he accepted.
Sitting in the rear of the van I learned Dani's story. His brother John had been partially run over by a seven-ton truck in the heat of battle in Iraq. Incredibly his screams were heard over the cacophony of war machinery and artillery!!!! After several days in Germany he was stabilized to return to the states. I learned that John was with 3rd Bn/8th Mar, India Company, a unit I was shipping care packages to. His 1stSgt was my contact. The chance that John was one of the recipients of the contents of my care packages was pretty likely!!! Once again I realize the Marine Corps community can be so small. I learned of the brotherly love of Dani and John, John being his baby brother.
By the time we arrived at Bethesda, we had established a closeness that often tragedy brings. We exchanged phone numbers and I asked Dani to let me know of John's progress.
Two days later I got the call. Dani's parents wanted me to come visit the ICU. The moment his mother Fatima and I met, it was as if we had been sisters all our lives. Being from Brazil with a heavy Portuguese accent, she felt inadequate in her language skills and felt more comfortable with me there, so I wanted to be there every day that I could. The blessing of my retail schedule allowed for alternating mornings and evenings off. Either way, I was with Fatima almost daily for the months John was here. I became part of the family. I convinced them to take time away from his bedside while I stayed with John. In a coma a patient hears and feels and is aware of what is taking place around him. We talked, sang, massaged, mopped his brow.....and when he finally came awake he remembered our attentions. (My first article for the paper was about Steven Diaz, who was in the next room and through my visits to the Pereiras I met Steven).
Several months went by and John's recovery was slow.....there were complications....he was known as the 'Miracle Marine'. Since then and up to the present you can imagine how many 'miracle patients' they have had. John was finally discharged to return home to rehabilitate. He did so well that he deployed again later that year back to Iraq but not as an 0311 Infrantry Rifleman...he was in Admin. Not too happy about that but he was well enough to fulfill his obligation to the Corps and complete his contract.
While home and before deploying he met a young lady he planned to marry when he returned. The following New Years I was invited to their wedding in Atlanta. The spoken language was Portuguese, but the universal language of love was all we needed to feel the love and glory to God that this ceremony brought out in all who attended, including some of his Marine brothers from Camp Lejeune. Once again I find it hard to express what I feel in my heart for John and his family. We have stayed in touch and to this day Fatima and I are like sisters though there are miles between us. John came to visit this summer when he and his Marine brothers met at Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects to their fallen brothers, of whom there were many....too many. That visit to see me was a blessing and gave me the opportunity to see how wonderful John looks and catch up on family news.
Forever I give thanks to God for aligning our paths that day at Dulles Airport. That we were all there at the same time and were connected by that chance announcement, (again in the words of C.S.Lewis....
"the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting)" is a miracle, wouldn't you say?
A chance meeting at an airport back in 2005 brought a very special family into my life through incredible circumstances. A wounded Marine being transported from Germany to Bethesda Naval Hospital (now Walter Reed) via Andrews AF Base with his parents, a brother arriving at Dulles Airport from Atlanta to meet them at the hospital, my mother, sister and I arriving at Dulles from a cruise. These are the people God has aligned to cross paths in this story. The likelihood of what transpired at that point is nothing short of a miracle.
In that short time we were at the airport an announcement was made "will the Marine Corps liaison please come to the travel desk." By now you know that due to my nephew Alex's being a US Marine, my awareness of all things Marine related is heightened to where an announcement such as that compelled me to investigate. I found a young man at the travel desk and I inquired if there was something I might do to assist. This is when I met Dani Pereira from Atlanta who had been waiting hours for his contact to get him to the Naval hospital. My family had a shuttle bus arriving any minute and we live a mile from the hospital. I offered Dani a ride and he accepted.
Sitting in the rear of the van I learned Dani's story. His brother John had been partially run over by a seven-ton truck in the heat of battle in Iraq. Incredibly his screams were heard over the cacophony of war machinery and artillery!!!! After several days in Germany he was stabilized to return to the states. I learned that John was with 3rd Bn/8th Mar, India Company, a unit I was shipping care packages to. His 1stSgt was my contact. The chance that John was one of the recipients of the contents of my care packages was pretty likely!!! Once again I realize the Marine Corps community can be so small. I learned of the brotherly love of Dani and John, John being his baby brother.
By the time we arrived at Bethesda, we had established a closeness that often tragedy brings. We exchanged phone numbers and I asked Dani to let me know of John's progress.
Two days later I got the call. Dani's parents wanted me to come visit the ICU. The moment his mother Fatima and I met, it was as if we had been sisters all our lives. Being from Brazil with a heavy Portuguese accent, she felt inadequate in her language skills and felt more comfortable with me there, so I wanted to be there every day that I could. The blessing of my retail schedule allowed for alternating mornings and evenings off. Either way, I was with Fatima almost daily for the months John was here. I became part of the family. I convinced them to take time away from his bedside while I stayed with John. In a coma a patient hears and feels and is aware of what is taking place around him. We talked, sang, massaged, mopped his brow.....and when he finally came awake he remembered our attentions. (My first article for the paper was about Steven Diaz, who was in the next room and through my visits to the Pereiras I met Steven).
Several months went by and John's recovery was slow.....there were complications....he was known as the 'Miracle Marine'. Since then and up to the present you can imagine how many 'miracle patients' they have had. John was finally discharged to return home to rehabilitate. He did so well that he deployed again later that year back to Iraq but not as an 0311 Infrantry Rifleman...he was in Admin. Not too happy about that but he was well enough to fulfill his obligation to the Corps and complete his contract.
While home and before deploying he met a young lady he planned to marry when he returned. The following New Years I was invited to their wedding in Atlanta. The spoken language was Portuguese, but the universal language of love was all we needed to feel the love and glory to God that this ceremony brought out in all who attended, including some of his Marine brothers from Camp Lejeune. Once again I find it hard to express what I feel in my heart for John and his family. We have stayed in touch and to this day Fatima and I are like sisters though there are miles between us. John came to visit this summer when he and his Marine brothers met at Arlington National Cemetery to pay their respects to their fallen brothers, of whom there were many....too many. That visit to see me was a blessing and gave me the opportunity to see how wonderful John looks and catch up on family news.
Forever I give thanks to God for aligning our paths that day at Dulles Airport. That we were all there at the same time and were connected by that chance announcement, (again in the words of C.S.Lewis....
"the accident of a topic being raised or not raised at a first meeting)" is a miracle, wouldn't you say?
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