Decades ago, our family started a tradition of saying prayers as we assembled our nativity scene each year. When we first started, our youngest child was so small we had to lift her so she could place the Baby Jesus in the manger. With four young children and a country-doctor husband, I felt a bit stretched in those days. So, when I put Mary in the scene, I took this prayer to heart:
Bless this virgin mother. May she teach me patience as I tend my little ones.
This year, the ritual shows up in my novel, Thirty Days to Glory. My character, Catherine, is working hard to embrace the “changing scenes of this life.” That is autobiographical, of course. The little girl who used to place Baby Jesus in our manger just gave birth to her third child.
These days, I usually put the creche together on my own. If Wendell happens to be home, he joins me in spirit. But Christmas-mania is kind of my domain. I don’t mind a bit. I put on music, dim the lights, and unwrap each piece as if I’ve never seen it before. I still whisper all the prayers, too. More out of habit than ritual. But it is soothing to my soul. Especially when I settle Mary beside the manger. Because then I repeat the second half of her prayer. The part I added when our eldest child went off to college, and I could see her siblings lining up with dreams to follow.
… and courage when they have grown and I send them out as gifts into the world.
So, Merry Christmas from our house to Kirksville, Omaha, Casper, and the world.
Note to self – keep tissues handy when reading Kathy’s blog over lunch at work. My baby just turned 16 yesterday, and the future is coming quickly!
I needed tissues when I wrote this! I so get you.
This re-inspires me to invest in a full nativity!
Do it! I was fortunate enough to have a mother-in-law who hand-crafted one for me in her pottery class.
Beautiful Kathy!!
Ooh I love this! I love the nativity. I haven’t yet started this tradition, but it may be one to add to next season. I am blessed to have a beautiful Willow Tree nativity set that was given to me by my Grandma Palmer. I actually received it on my birthday “from her” a few months after she passed away. She had bought it early intending to give it to me on my birthday. Talk about a tear jerker. I hope it lasts as long as yours has because no other set is going to be able to top that.
Oh, my, Jennie! That is marvelous! You must add this tradition.
Yeah…. I cried.
So sweet! Can you come and decorate my house? I do not have a thing out except a wreath on the mailbox that my sister-in-law gave me.
You don’t want to hire me as a decorator, Judy. My sprinklings of Christmas around the house are rather sparse.
oh the tears…and 6th graders are going to be walking in on me at any moment! Love this…such a great tradition!
You all are making me cry…but it is a beautiful cry
A good cry does wonders!