MERRY CHRISTMAS

Christmas Eve service last night reminds me of so many other services I've attended over the years. Growing up in the Lutheran church and school, I remember practicing the carols and our various parts in the pageant for the big night. Those were very special times. A new dress and the anticipation of the Christ Child's coming. The swishes and swirls as we were all about to go "on" up in front of the church's congregation. Then afterwards all the good feelings one felt throughout the church and the brown paper bag gifts of fruits and nuts from the congregation to us, the children.

That was many years ago. My parents didn't go to church but they did send me to the Lutheran school. Looking back, I guess it was something of a sacrifice for my parents as they had to pay extra for me to go to that school and would have paid nothing for me to go to the public school. But they'd started me out in the Lutheran school before we moved to Roselle from Maywood and I wanted to continue.

Later, we did something similar. We rarely went to church and when our children came along, although we tried to give them something of a religious education, we fell somewhat short as could be summed up in the words of our youngest son. He was probably around 5 or 6 and had recently attended the school holiday program his brother had been in. I selected a church that had an early candlelight service so the kids wouldn't have to stay up too late. Jordan's eyes got big as saucers as he accepted his very own candle upon entering the church and even bigger as the flames were passed from candle to candle during the lighting ceremony.

As we passed by the minister to shake his hand, the man eargerly reached out to Jordan and asked him what he thought of the service. To that Jordan replied, "I really liked my Hannakah candle and I thought the Prime Minister did a really good job!".

Last night Benjamin, our 5 yr. old grandson, attended what was perhaps his first church service and his first Christmas Eve service and he was very good and attentive. But those words of wisdom didn't come out of his mouth (although he did tell us a gross story about all the snot that had come out of his nose and all over his pillow the night before due to his allergies!). Such is the stuff of which our lives are made!

Peace and Good Will to All!

Carol