A Christmas book for his kids- Chaplain Gerry Phelan

He had recorded a Christmas book for his kids, through a program sponsored by the Redemptorists in our prison. His story stands out because their mom had agreed that his present fiancé deliver the book to the children.

I remember thinking what a blessing it must be to have that kind of peace and cooperation in what most would consider a broken family.

The family is not broken. The book allowed the dad to be in his children’s home that Christmas morning. “At Christmas and Always I Love You” was likely the Hallmark title, but what matters is the book spelled L-O-V-E.

And so, a few months later, the man asks to see the Catholic chaplain again, and walks in carrying this huge basket. It is empty, but full of thanks, and memories, and love. It is made of 450 wooden forks, the kind the inmates use to eat their food. And glued together with toothpaste and powdered milk. The skilled craftsman carried the gift to me, escorted by a corrections officer who was also suitably impressed by the handiwork.

I picture the thoughts that ran through the inmate’s mind over the hours that he put this together, fork after fork, piece after piece; perhaps glances of what could have been if his Christmas had been outside and not in the dungeon called prison. How grateful he must feel, to have used his ‘time’ to mould something so symbolic for people he considered so special for helping him stay in his children’s lives.

There were not a lot of words, just please express my thanks to those responsible for such a wonderful gift for my family. And it does. More than words can say.

Humbling. From the heart.