The Christmas that Changed Our Lives

Our Christmas arrived two days early in 1982 and it turned out to be the best Christmas my family and I ever had. It was about 10:30 in the morning, and I was working on some Christmas toys in the garage when my wife called me to the phone. It was a call from Ione, and I knew this could be a special phone call, so I stopped what I was doing and hurried to the phone. Carol (my first wife) was in the kitchen, and I answered the extension phone (pre-cell phone days).


When I picked it up Ione asked one question, “Are you sitting down?” Those four words stimulated hope and excitement in both of us. Her next comment changed our family forever. “We have a little boy who was born yesterday. He is a beautiful little boy and we wondered if you would like to adopt him?”


Tears flowed freely down our cheeks and in unison we replied, “Yes!” I believe Ione also shared a few tears with us. After nine years of hoping and praying and waiting we were grateful that this day had finally come.


We wanted this little boy more than anything in the world. And even though we had never met him we already loved him. We knew that he was an answer to our prayers and belonged in our family. 


For the next several minutes, Ione shared a little history of our new son. We learned that he was born the day before on the 22nd. He was a couple of weeks premature, and he was small, so he needed to stay in the hospital for a week or so but otherwise he was healthy.


We had an older son who was twelve, and he had also waited a long time for a little brother. He joined the celebratory atmosphere at home and at the hospital as we met his new brother.


We changed our clothes and rushed to Primary Children’s Hospital (as it was called back then). Ione met us there and took us to meet the newest member of our family. We all cried when we saw him sleeping in a small incubator with wires in his head, arms, and feet. He was so small and yet so perfect. He had just a few wisps of hair left on his head; most of it had been shaved off so they could attach the wires that helped his doctors and nurses monitor him and keep him safe.


As I was walking over to glance upon our new son’s face for the first time, I had the most incredible experience. He was lying on his stomach sleeping, but his head was turned towards me, and then it happened. It felt as though his little spirit jumped out of his body and into my heart with his little arms trying to wrap themselves around my neck to give me a hug. I thought this was his way of telling me he loved me. At that special moment, my love for him was cemented and has only grown stronger as he has grown older.


Reluctantly we had to leave the little guy to finish preparations for an extended family Christmas party that was being held at our home that evening. Driving home we devised a surprise plan for telling everyone about the new edition to our family. We had invited Santa to attend the party and deliver presents to the children. After all the presents were handed out, Santa delivered a special present to my mother. 


The gift was a letter from our newest son, whom we named Peter S Cazier. She opened it and read it out loud so we could hear the ‘little guy’ introduce himself to the family and express his gratitude to be part of it. His letter in part said,

By the time Mom finished reading his letter there was not a dry eye in the room. Excitement prevailed and happiness exuded from everyone present that special night.


Starting with the Christmas of 1983, it became our family tradition to celebrate the birth of two special individuals each year. The first is the story of the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger, 2,000 years ago. The second is the story of Peter, lying in an incubator in Primary Children’s Hospital. The joy of these two births and their impact on our family is almost beyond comprehension. I can’t imagine my life without either of them.

Merry Christmas!

Happy Failing Forward,


Calvert Cazier PhD, MPH


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