CHRISTMAS AT THE WAFFLE HOUSE

My resolve has grown stronger over the years to simplify Christmas. But I didn't know how simple it could actually be -- until one Christmas Eve when the plane we were in had to make an emergency landing. It was December 24, 2010, and we would end up having the simplest Christmas of our lives.

But that wasn't necessarily our plan. We had planned to take two of our sons and fly to Indianapolis, where our oldest son lived with his family. We would land in Indianapolis, buy food for our traditional Christmas Eve dinner, and surprise them by caroling to them just as it got dark.

We boarded the plane the morning of Christmas Eve and checked one large duffel bag with everyone’s presents in it. We had been in the air for about 2 hours, when we heard this over the intercom: “Folks, this is your captain speaking. I wish I had good news for you, but I do not.”...

Now, I’m pretty sure this would make the top ten list of “Things You Never Want to Hear Your Pilot Say.” Along with the next part. The electrical system on the left side of the plane had failed about 30 minutes before. And the system on the right side had just gone down, also. “So,” the pilot said, “We’re running totally on auxillary power, and something in this plane is making the power systems fail, and we can’t chance that that will happen one more time. So, we’ll be making an emergency landing as soon as possible.”

Now, you’re probably smarter than me, but when someone says you’re your plane engines have failed, in my mind, we’re headed straight into the ground. I couldn’t believe it. I tried to stay calm, but I clutched John's hand and silently wondered why no one was screaming. What did they know that I didn’t?

In that very long 30-40 minutes, I thought of our two sons on the plane with us – in the prime of their lives, both college students, and two of my best friends. I thought of our only daughter, spending her first Christmas with the man she had just married in August. I thought of the little family we were going to visit. More than anyone, I thought of our missionary son in Georgia. And I prayed like I had prayed that Christmas Eve so many years ago.

 Now, I’d heard about some emergency landings -- on crowded freeways, into wooded hillsides, or worse – neighborhoods. I was very nervous. Then a really happy thought occurred to me. We were over Kansas. I couldn’t see anything out of my window except for clouds, but I was pretty sure that there’d be a place to land in Kansas. I pictured climbing out of the plane and into a cornfield. Turns out, we didn’t have to land in a cornfield. Instead, we touched down, safe and sound, at the Kansas City Airport…..which we got to know well, because we were there for nine hours.

Then they put us on a plane bound for Atlanta. Why? I have no idea, but that’s where we went, and when we landed, the airport was deserted, except for one poor Delta agent, trying to help 300 people. My husband asked, “Is there anyone else here?” And she answered, “It’s Christmas Eve! Everyone’s gone home.”

What a great idea….

By the time we checked in to a nearby hotel, it was 11:30 PM. We were really hungry, and the only place to eat was 2 blocks away, and it was pouring rain. So we ran, through the rain, and arrived sopping wet at the Waffle House, which advertised that it had been open for 50 years. And it looked like it. I mean, I don’t think they’d changed a thing. There were a few quiet customers scattered around the restaurant, and 3 employees working in the open kitchen, and I was pretty sure none of them wanted to be there.

I wondered how to lift the spirits of the place and make it seem at all like Christmas Eve. I spied a juke box in the corner. Music! Music would change the whole atmosphere! I figured there wouldn’t be anything religious, but maybe “Silver Bells” or “White Christmas.” No. My only choice, inexplicably, were,  “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer.” A Christmas classic. I didn't play the juke box after all. 

We sat at the table and laughed until we were sick. Our food came. Here it is.

The first time in 30 years we didn't have teriyaki steak for Christmas Eve dinner. Still, we were hungry and tired, and were glad to have it.

After a very short night's sleep, we flew to Indiana the next day. Not only did we arrive much later than we had planned, but we didn't come bearing food, because the stores were all closed on Christmas day. And we didn't come bearing gifts either, because our bags had been routed, inexplicably, to Cincinatti.

But we were safe, and we were together, and it was still a surprise. We read the Christmas story, ate a simple meal, and played with the boys. We had a great time. And there wasn’t a present, a feast, or a function in sight.

And maybe that is exactly how Christmas is supposed to be.