Traffic on a highway came to a total stop when thousands of reindeer suddenly flooded onto the road, giving drivers the impression that they were seeing a Christmas miracle. However, everyone was in disbelief when they understood where the herd was going and what it was fleeing from 
The day was a typical winter day. Nothing indicated danger, the traffic flowed well, and the weather was normal for the season. People were thinking of family dinners, gifts, Christmas plans, and the comforts of home as cars passed through a snow-covered woodland.
Then, suddenly, everything changed.
Deep in the forest, a low, lengthy, eerie sound resounded, like if something had collapsed far away. Instinctively, drivers slowed, looking about bewildered. The first reindeer then exploded onto the highway a few seconds later.
There were initially just a few. Then scores. Then hundreds. In less than a minute, thousands of reindeer began to pour out of the forest onto the road. They were all racing in the same way, never halting, and never turning around, as though they were being pursued by something horrible and unseen.
In an instant, a huge traffic bottleneck developed. Automobiles came to a stop. Some filmed on their phones as they got out, while others just stared in shock. People briefly grinned and referred to it as a “Christmas miracle”—a once-in-a-lifetime festive spectacle.
However, that sensation was short-lived.
The reality soon became apparent.
A snow avalanche had occurred in the mountains due to an abrupt shift in the weather. A massive wall of snow tore through everything in its path as it crashed into the woodland. The animals fled for their lives when they realized the threat long before humans did.
Neither magic nor seasonal pleasure were being brought by the reindeer. There was no fairy tale about them. They were running for their lives.
And the drivers who had been grinning a few seconds before stopped talking. They understood that instead of seeing a joyous spectacle, they had seen a warning of the might of nature and how easily peace can devolve into disaster.
No one voiced any complaints despite the road being stopped for hours that day. Because at that very time, the traffic delay didn’t feel like a hassle, but rather a moment to consider survival, terror, and how fleeting life can be.
The reindeer, on the other hand, continued to go toward the only thing they could find: hope.
