I wanted to hold baby Jesus

                            

When I was growing up, Mom and I would decorate for Christmas precisely on December 16 -- never the 15th or the 17th.  December 16 was my Dad's birthday. The goal, I'm quite sure, was to have a perfect setting and perfect meal --steak, mushrooms, fried potatoes with pineapple upside down cake -- when he rolled in from work at 4:30.  (Just a side note -- all decorations came down December 26).

Each year the house was decorated like the year before.  The manger for baby Jesus had it's place at one of the end tables flanking the couch. For some reason, that's the only piece of a nativity set we owned. As I child, I was quite satisfied with that. As an only child, that meant I didn't have to share baby Jesus when he would suddenly appear on December 25. 

I remember being so excited for His coming. No worries about Joseph finding an Inn, no thoughts of Mary's pain in giving birth, no messy animals to consider, no a single shepherd or wise man interrupting such a private moment. Just the main attraction. I couldn't wait to hold that perfect 2inch specimen of a baby boy.  There was an awe instilled in me by my parents' and an internal knowing of how life changing Jesus was in world history and in the life of that little girl on Lauer Road. 

At some point, Mom began to acquire the pieces to the Hummel nativity set. She would get one each year for her Christmas gift -- that and chocolate covered cashews. The most exciting year was when we added a standing camel.  He was huge.  I still liked my lone baby Jesus best.

Mom and Dad are gone. I have the Hummel set, but can't quite bring myself to set it up. I started my own collection 30 years ago. The above photo shows some of the work of a Michigan artist, Maryfrances Phillippi. There are so many pieces and I love having such a variety of animals represented -- how often have you seen a turtle in a nativity. 

Tiny baby Jesus could get lost in the gathering. Not a chance.  I was trained at a very young age, that Jesus was the one character in the Holy Story to hold dear. And I do.

Notice the wise men, with a camel, with a turtle.