Sunday, December 25, 2011

On This Christmas Day...


As I watched the dawn break this morning, an orange 
sliver on a gray horizon, my thoughts wandered to that 
first Christmas, and how it might play out today…

Manhattan (or any major city): man and woman arrive, 
little money, can’t even afford a cheap hotel room. 
She’s quite obviously pregnant, and the paternity is sketchy. 
No matter, boyfriend doesn’t care, loves her, and vows to
raise the child as his own. As they walk through this city, 
the woman collapses in labor, and their infant son 
is born in the park. The story warrants a few lines under 
Human Interest in the daily paper. A handful of strangers 
who read it actually step up and help the couple find work 
and a place to stay so they can get on their feet. They beat 
the statistics, and stay together to raise their son, who 
becomes a well-known lobbyist and human rights activist,
speaking up for the people down on their luck,
and bringing needed attention to the ills and
mismanagement of government and society.

I have heard the Christmas story described as a fairy tale.
Whether you believe or not, there is no denying the
lessons we learn from it, the moral to the story of Christ's life:
that we need to care about each other;
that we shouldn’t be afraid to spend time among the ill,
the destitute, the so-called sinners and low-lives who need
a kind word, their spirits lifted,  a hand up;
and mostly...

that we need to treat others like we wish to be treated.

As each one celebrates this holiday in their own way, may your hearts be filled with wonder, and with the true meaning of the of the season.

©   Ginny Brannan December 2011



3 comments:

  1. this is beautiful ginny...i hope that you had a wonderful christmas surrounded by those that you love and are loved by you....love that story of the man and the woman and those willing to help...the first christmas again...interesting to thik on how it just might play out...in some realms i wonder if it would be noticed...

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm fashionably late to this Ginny, but finally, finally glad to be here. This is really a great take on the nativity. I hope you and yours had a wonderful Christmas and all the best to you in 2012!

    ReplyDelete
  3. amazing, best wishes for the year of 2012.

    welcome joining us today.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for reading my poetry and sharing your thoughts.