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News / Churches & Religion

Family gets their long-shot Christmas wish

Military family unexpectedly reunites in Hawaii

By Lucy Luginbill, Tri-City Herald
Published: December 28, 2019, 6:05am

Long before twinkling lights or gingerbread houses dot the scene, the Christmas Wish List appears. Traditionally it’s filled-to-the-brim and stretching long, holding possibilities certain to bring joy.

But for one family this holiday season, the list was surprisingly short.

“When I asked our boys, ‘What do you want for Christmas?’ the first thing they said was to see their dad, and we knew that wasn’t going to happen,” Carlie said, explaining that her husband, Army Staff Sgt. Chris Lawes, was deployed in Korea; no holiday leave in sight.

It was back to the Christmas Wish List as hopes for their first request dampened in Washington’s gray, rainy day. Then their mom asked her sons what might be the second gift on the list.

“Hawaii was what immediately followed because they consider it home since they spent a huge chunk of elementary and high school life there,” Carlie said, reminiscing about their more than 6 years stationed in Oahu. “I decided if I could make something come true, and if we could do one piece of that (wish list) to have a nice Christmas and lift spirits, that’s what we’d do.”

Without a moment’s delay, this frugal military mom booked the trip, looking for the cheapest flight to get there. The tickets were nonrefundable and not the prime schedule, but no matter. The kids were elated at the prospect of a week- long stay with old friends, familiar beaches and plenty of sunshine.

Then, as if the Grinch himself had appeared, the family’s joy was nearly stolen.

“Suddenly Chris was going to Hawaii for this training exercise for his job in Korea, but our dates didn’t match up at all!” Carlie said, lamenting how they were going to be so unbelievably close, but still so far away. “I was pretty heartbroken. We’d miss him by three days!”

‘Hardship tour’

Although it may have felt like a lump of coal in their stockings, both Carlie and Chris reminded themselves how blessed they were to be flying to the sunny island, even if they’d be on the south shore at different times. This couldn’t minimally compare with their being apart through his deployments, one in Iraq and two in Afghanistan.

“We tried to stay positive about it, especially because I know as much as it’s hard for the boys and me being here in Washington without him, I know it’s so much harder for him to be in Korea alone without us,” Carlie said, reflecting on his “hardship tour,” a sacrifice he’d chosen as a way to get his family back to the Joint Lewis-McChord military base where they’d once lived nearby.

But just like Christmas day, there’s often a surprise in store — sometimes two.

While Carlie checked her list twice, Chris had written his own wish and forwarded it to his leadership. Then, only days before his departure from Korea, it came true with an approved six extra days on the backside of his Hawaii training exercise.

But could one more Christmas wish come true?

When Carlie called Alaska Airlines with what felt like an impossible last-minute wish, it seemed as if St. Nick had answered.

“I got Mike who said, ‘I know how much you guys sacrifice, the military and their families, and if I can get you guys together for Christmas, to spend some extra days together, then I’m going to do that,'” Carlie said, ecstatic that all fees had been waived for their changed flight schedule. “When I hung up the phone I was literally running around the house like a 5-year-old. He’d been so kind, and way beyond what I expected or imagined he would do for us. It just felt like such a Christmas miracle.”

Mother Teresa would agree, “It is Christmas every time you let God love others through you … .”

Love. It’s at the top of everyone’s wish list.

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