Can Word Run Without a Normal.dot?

Awhile ago, I had a problem with Microsoft Word 2003 so, suspecting
corruption in Normal.dot, I sent it to the Recycle Bin.

(As it turned out, my problem had nothing to do with Normal.dot.)

Anyway, I later did a search for all my .dot files and discovered, to my
surprise, that I had no Normal.dot anywhere on my hard drive.

Plenty of other .dot files, but no Normal.dot.

I was always told that Microsoft Word searches for Normal.dot when it
starts up and, finding none, it creates one.

Not this time.

I restored the Normal.dot that was in my recycle bin.

So how was Microsoft Word 2003 running with no Normal.dot?

Was this a miracle?