I posted only half of Joy Conrad-Rice’s offering on each of our two blogs, but it was supposed to be one, so here it is again — the whole thing. Sorry, Joy
Christmas for me as a child in Spokane, Washington, was a source of confusion and anxiety
as I tried to satisfy my parents’ wishes for a traditional Christian celebration
with all the trimmings at the same time as my maternal grandmother, a devout
Jehovah’s Witness, told my sister and me that Christmas on December 25th
was not something to celebrate, for Jesus was really born in what we know as October.
One year, when I was about six and my sister was three, Grandmother persuaded me,
and I persuaded my sister, that it was bad to celebrate Christmas, so when it came time to eat Christmas dinner,
I developed a stomach ache and said I wasn’t hungry, couldn’t eat, would throw up. Soon my sister developed
similar symptoms. When my mother quizzed me about why I felt sick (suspecting her mother had said something to us),
she realized what had happened and was furious. After a while, my parents persuaded
my sister and me to come to the table and join in with the family, including lots of great aunts and uncles
and paternal grandmother. We did and I wondered at the power of persuasion.This is still a vivid visceral memory for me after many decades.
On another note, when I was 18 and living near Vienna, Austria, in a small town along the Danube river,
where most of the folks were Catholic and went to midnight mass in celebration of Christmas,
I found myself standing on the outer porch of the large home where I was living with an Austrian family,
looking east over the quietly flowing river at my footprints on a soft blanket of snow on the backyard in front of me and up at the stars in the heavens, marvelling at Creation and deciding that only a supernatural phenomenon could make such beauty and mystery. I decided then that however people acknowledge this is OK with me and I will not waste energy
fussing over how and why.
Similarly, when I was in my early twenties and attending University Friends Meeting in Seattle, I took note of the quiet worship that was offered, followed by a quiet cheerful potluck and decided that this approach was fine and I would take part in it whenever I could.
These days during the weeks of winter holiday celebrations, I look for ways to do little actions that make others
happy. I admire those who are not Christian by tradition who find ways to support those who honor traditional Christmas celebrations. For example, when people of Jewish faith volunteer to work in place of people who are Christian (hospitals, gas stations, etc.) that’s something I wish I could do in reverse for those of other faiths but so far I have not discovered opportunity to do that.
All in all, I conclude that Christmas is another day of the year, by historical tradition, a source of energy to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Peace and good will to all.
Joy Belle Conrad-Rice
What Canst Thou Say? 