​Reader,​

Last week, I got to see a miracle happen. And it didn’t look anything like I thought it would.

When my husband was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022, the doctors who found it told us he had 8-10 months to live. They basically said, we’ll get you on chemo and radiation, but get your affairs in order.

We both were in shock and the first thing my husband said when the doctors left the room was, I’ll never be able to teach our daughter to drive a car, see her graduate high school or send her off to college. I won’t be there to watch her get married.

You can imagine how soul crushing it was.

Shortly after that, we moved across the country and found much better doctors who had a lot more hope, optimism, and infinitely better plans for medical care.

Jump to last week, I rounded the corner and I heard my husband asking my daughter random drivers’ ed questions and her spouting off facts.

My mind flashed back to the cold hospital room and his devastation at not getting to watch our daughter grow up.

And suddenly this totally normal, everyday thing – getting a driver’s permit – turned into a miracle.

The idea of miracles is one of the things that have long fascinated me. Growing up Catholic, they were described as big, dramatic events in larger than life stories – walking on water, the never ending fish and bread basket. Things that can be categorized as spectacular.

But, I have often wondered if those expressions of a miracle have limited our definitions of it. Does it truly have to be an “extraordinary event of divine intervention” to count? Or could it be more (or in my case less) than that?

It’s one of those questions that leads you down a rabbit hole, where you’re more likely to find more questions than you are answers. But I do think it’s worth pondering.

• Can miracles be something small and ordinary?
• Do they have to be huge, mysterious events?

What makes a miracle a miracle? I’d love to hear your thoughts and any instances of miracles you have personally experienced. Feel free to hit reply and share what comes up for you.

P.S. Are miracles miracles because they inspire awe or connect us to something bigger than ourselves? I’d love to hear your thoughts – just hit reply to this email.