Being Grateful for Small Miracles

DH wasn't supposed to be home with us this Shabbos.  While he has been able to somehow manipulate the schedule (with trades, bribes, working extra shifts, working every Sunday) to have off every Shabbos over the last year and a half, we were sure that it wasn't going to work out this month.  He is currently rotating through the intensive care unit at one of the busiest children's hospitals in the country-- the nature of the work and the set-up of the resident teams made his "Shabbos switches" look impossible.  We sat down together about 6 weeks ago to review the schedule-- he would have to have one call on Friday (30 hour shift 6 am Friday to noon Saturday), one call on Saturday (30 hour shift 6 am Saturday to noon on Sunday), and one normal Saturday workday (6 am on Saturday to 12:30ish).  It didn't look like there was any way around it.*

We were preparing for the worst.  I would find meals with neighbors (and would probably cry... a lot) for the days that he was on call.  Miraculously, a few things came up weeks before he started in the PICU, and other residents needed to make switches to the schedule, "Would you be willing to take my Thursday call for your Friday?"  It shouldn't have worked out, but it did.  We were grateful that he wouldn't have to stay at the hospital overnight on Shabbos and we wouldn't be without our favorite Daddy. 

We had resigned that the regular work day was just not going to happen. Truly, we felt blessed to have the call situation fixed.  We would somehow make the work day, well, work.  We decided that the best way to deal with the work day was to pack up the whole family and stay at the Chabad in the Medical Center.  He would walk to work and we would have the majority of the time together.  That was supposed to be this Shabbos. 

And then everything just came together!  I can't even begin to try to explain how many little pieces just "randomly fell into place", but he was somehow able to get off this Shabbos!  He has said, and I agree, it is all min ha-shamyim. 

Often, we take for granted the details of life.  "Of course my husband will be home for Shabbos!  How could it be any other way?"  Perhaps Hashem gives us these near misses to help us appreciate each and every chance that we get this time together?