I brought in some of the tubs to start decorating our home. My granddaughter was helping me, and was excited to see what we would discover in the buckets.
Bright bulbs, stars, delicate candles, greenery and lights...we then saw the Mangers, and she said, "I want to play with the barn and girl".
I then decided, we would not be putting up the mangers this year.
I wasn't ready to introduce her to the theme of sin, a savior and her 'unworthiness'.
How have I celebrated without religion in the past 12 years?
Do I still want the familiar religious decorations?
Is there a manger message without sin, and a savior who died, to wipe ours away?
Can there be a new story about a barn, and a girl, and Christmas?
How would it read?
This girl and how do we celebrate Christmas for her?
As they say, "Christmas is for children..."
Maybe it is just a barn and a girl, and we have added the meaning in our minds.
Meanings and definitions that keeps us all at odds and different from one another.
The animals are animals in the barn she would love to play with; as would the baby be.
Perhaps the bigger lesson is for me to look at the manger as she does.
Without the content of religion.
And, see just a barn and a girl.
We can put the manger up to remind us to leave religion out of it.
Let's decorate and focus on being present, to feel love and give what we love.
Christmas is the season to Celebrate Love and Presence!
