Kathleen Botsford

A Christmas Dream

This is a poem my sister wrote.  It was a originally a song but I can't sing.   I meant to post it with a collage before Christmas but alas, the time got away from me.  I wish you the Peace and Love of the Christ as we begin the New Year.

A Christmas Dream

I saw an Angel standing close to me
Gesture to an empty sky.
And for some reason I could not explain
All the world began to cry.
I saw the shadow of a mountaintop
Hover o'er a stormy sea.
And in the mist I saw three shepherds there
Fallen down on bended knee.

There was no little baby-there was no shining star.
Nothing guided the wise men-as they traveled afar.
There was no perfect mother-there was no gentle man.
No one cared for each other-there was no guiding plan.

And in the little town of Bethlehem
People wandered far and near.
And if there was a voice that called to them
I supposed they didn't hear.
There was an emptiness that seemed unreal
On that cold and wintry night.
As though a miracle were missing there
That would never come to light.

There was no little baby-there was no shining star.
Nothing guided the wise men-as they traveled afar.
There was no perfect mother-there was no gentle man.
No one cared for each other-there was no guiding plan

And then I woke and saw the sun above
Heard the choirs sing with joy
And realized the world had known the Love
Brought by one small baby Boy.

There indeed was a baby
Who brought Hope to the earth.
People fell down in worship
At the news of His birth.
There were two holy people
Who would mold His young life.
He would show us to Heaven.
He would lead us to Life.

Laurel Femiano

Changing Traditions

The holidays are busy and full of traditions in our home.  This year the traditions are shifting as my family continues to grow and change.  As long as I let go of my strangle hold on "tradition"  I am surprising myself and having lots of fun with the spontaneity that surrounds staying present in the moment. 

This Thanksgiving we jetted off to LA for the weekend with another family to attend the Notre Dame USC football game.  It was the first Thanksgiving we have celebrated away from family and though I was a little hesitant in the beginning, we had a wonderful time filled with laughter and gaiety.

The next tradition to bite the dust was our annual outing to pick out our Christmas trees.  We usually do that the day after Thanksgiving and then begin decorating with egg nog, champagne and carols on Saturday.  We flew back into town on Sunday and the older kids got connecting flights (*) or drove back to campus directly from the airport.  When will we get the trees?  When will we decorate?  Will the spirit of Christmas be lost forever this year?  Calm down Mom.  The spirit of Christmas is as alive as ever and has nothing to do with the Christmas trees or the decorating.  We still do not have our trees and I am ok with it!  Not an anxious moment to be found.  Victoria has to be downtown this weekend so we are driving her down and spending the the night and the next day shopping.  The tree will have to wait until next week.   And notice I said  "tree", not plural!  The traditional "kids" tree has been retired for this year.  The kids voted on it.  We will have one, gigantic and lavishly decorated tree in the family room.  These new traditions are not as bad as I expected!  Less work for me!

As I continue to amaze myself with my growing skills in becoming the mother of adult children, I am still nostalgic for the innocence of their childhood.  Their shining faces and breathless anticipation.  Their exclamations and voices squeaky with excitement as they unwrapped their favorite Christmas ornaments and stood on tiptoe to gently hang them on the tree.  Those memories are my Christmas present to myself.  I will keep them safely wrapped in  the cozy warmth of a mother's heart and tied with sparkling tears of joy. I will take them out one by  precious one, to be gazed at and then gently tucked away until the next time this mother needs another peek at her heartstrings.

(*) As you may notice in the photo, snow has arrived in Chicago's northwest suburbs.  Alex started her return trip home  to Indiana University at 8 am on Sunday morning and arrived in Bloomington at 11pm on Monday night.  Welcome to holiday travel in the American Midwest!