Post by thewisefarmer on Dec 24, 2017 8:20:10 GMT
IS HE HERE YET?
Holidays and special events are tempered by the mundane regularity of life.
Anyone who has critters will tell you they have no snooze alarm. Feeding, milking, and a pup's trip outside in the morning are on a clock that does not need to be set before bed.
Shaalu slept in her crate at night. Early morning, like the buzz of an alarm, her squeals of "I need to go outside" would announce that morning was here.
"December" on the calendar was a month that taught even the youngest child how days pass. A black X would remove each day from the waiting. A December calendar page that was almost full of Xs meant Christmas was close at hand. For Shaalu, knowing when Christmas would come was less complicated.
My mother made large drape art craft figures of Mary and Joseph. In front of them was an open "Bible" that held a bed of hay. The Jesus doll was not in His bed yet. The hay manger lay empty awaiting Christmas too.
Christmas morning, all the family would look to see, not if Santa had come; but, we looked to see if Baby Jesus was here.
Shaalu, even in her limited intelligence, learned that if Baby Jesus was here that meant it was Christmas.
With dreams of Doggie toys dancing in her head, night by night - X by X on the calendar, Shaalu slept. Her morning squeals were more intense. I would let her out of her bed and like a grey hound racing after a rabbit, she would speed into the living room. Tail high and wagging, ears alert and bouncing with joy, until...oh until. No Baby Jesus.
Her ears, like fuzzy mops, dusted the floor with sorrow as she then dragged her body to the door to go potty.
Day by day, she awoke with joy and then with sorrow would wait.
The kids needed no alarm clock to wake up on this morning, for today was Christmas.
Shaalu awoke and with delight ran to check the manger.
Barks of great joy, "Jesus is here!" "Jesus is here!" "It is Christmas!" I quickly put her outside, where she continued to announce the good news to the whole neighbor hood.
When I opened the door, she ran back inside and over to the manger scene to be sure she wasn't dreaming. "Yes, Baby Jesus is here!"
She ran to get her gift from under the tree. She knew which one was hers and had guarded it all month. She opened the gift with delighted wrapping paper scraps flying. The kids and I opened gifts and ate breakfast, while Shaalu slept happily. With her toy tucked under her chin, Shaalu snuggled up by the Baby Jesus.
Baby Jesus had come. It was Christmas.
Holidays and special events are tempered by the mundane regularity of life.
Anyone who has critters will tell you they have no snooze alarm. Feeding, milking, and a pup's trip outside in the morning are on a clock that does not need to be set before bed.
Shaalu slept in her crate at night. Early morning, like the buzz of an alarm, her squeals of "I need to go outside" would announce that morning was here.
"December" on the calendar was a month that taught even the youngest child how days pass. A black X would remove each day from the waiting. A December calendar page that was almost full of Xs meant Christmas was close at hand. For Shaalu, knowing when Christmas would come was less complicated.
My mother made large drape art craft figures of Mary and Joseph. In front of them was an open "Bible" that held a bed of hay. The Jesus doll was not in His bed yet. The hay manger lay empty awaiting Christmas too.
Christmas morning, all the family would look to see, not if Santa had come; but, we looked to see if Baby Jesus was here.
Shaalu, even in her limited intelligence, learned that if Baby Jesus was here that meant it was Christmas.
With dreams of Doggie toys dancing in her head, night by night - X by X on the calendar, Shaalu slept. Her morning squeals were more intense. I would let her out of her bed and like a grey hound racing after a rabbit, she would speed into the living room. Tail high and wagging, ears alert and bouncing with joy, until...oh until. No Baby Jesus.
Her ears, like fuzzy mops, dusted the floor with sorrow as she then dragged her body to the door to go potty.
Day by day, she awoke with joy and then with sorrow would wait.
The kids needed no alarm clock to wake up on this morning, for today was Christmas.
Shaalu awoke and with delight ran to check the manger.
Barks of great joy, "Jesus is here!" "Jesus is here!" "It is Christmas!" I quickly put her outside, where she continued to announce the good news to the whole neighbor hood.
When I opened the door, she ran back inside and over to the manger scene to be sure she wasn't dreaming. "Yes, Baby Jesus is here!"
She ran to get her gift from under the tree. She knew which one was hers and had guarded it all month. She opened the gift with delighted wrapping paper scraps flying. The kids and I opened gifts and ate breakfast, while Shaalu slept happily. With her toy tucked under her chin, Shaalu snuggled up by the Baby Jesus.
Baby Jesus had come. It was Christmas.
