The Grinch and Me
A few weeks ago, our 2.5 year-old grandson, Owen was visiting us for Thanksgiving. We had many activities that week but one of my favorites was the night we went to the River Walk in Tuscaloosa and walked among the decorated Christmas trees (or actually he rode his Strider)! There were dozens of decorated trees....construction company trees complete with hard hats, realtor trees with little houses all over, an 'Incredibles' tree, and even the Grinch made an appearance. Dozens of people had the same idea that night and as we weaved in and out of the slow-moving crowed of folks, it felt good to be engaged in Christmas with our community. It was a sort-of throwback Christmas experience. People were only on their iPhones to take pictures, people bought lattes and hot chocolate from a coffee truck nearby, music filled the air. No snowflakes appeared but still it felt downright cozy and thrilling...for a little boy and his grandma.
When we got home, Owen immediately ran to 'his' Christmas tree in our home. Now his tree is a table top, 3 foot tall tree. He had decorated it with little mini ornaments as one of our projects. He had Santa on it, elves, Mrs. Santa, reindeer and most especially his beloved Spiderman! I noticed his kept leaning forward into his tree...hmmm, I wondered, what is he doing and saying. His language skills are fantastic but I couldn't quite get his word or his mannerism. My son approached and explained, "he's saying, 'like the Grinch,'". Ohhhhhhhh, yes the Grinch tree at the River Walk. Now I understood. He's emulating what he's seen....totally makes sense and oh, so cute!!. The Grinch...as he is poking he head inside the Christmas tree!! A cute, fun Christmas-time story.
Many hours later, I found my bed and in the moments of silence before I found sleep, I thought back over our day and our evening at the River Walk. I found myself smiling to myself as I recalled my precious grandson and his mimicking of the Grinch. Fun, blessed day...now sleep please....ok, sleep...please come oh, dear, I needed sleep. But alas not so fast.
The Grinch filled my head. Owen kept asking, as only a two-year-old can, 'but where is his head, Kaki?" Where is it? Why is his head in the tree?
Indeed, why is his head in the tree? Good question, I hear inside of myself. I pondered the question that night as sleep finally arrived. But I've continued to ponder the visual and my own head. My head is usually stuck right in the middle of my Christmas tree, my Christmas plans, my Christmas expectations, my Christmas present-buying. What would it be like if this Christmas I looked outside of my Christmas tree. What if I looked outside of my traditions and my own family...and saw some other people.
Isn't Christmas for everyone? Have I made this MY OWN Christmas? It's truly not even mine. So how can I steal it just for me and mine? Who can I see outside my Christmas tree? If this is such a great celebration, who else needs to know about it?
When we got home, Owen immediately ran to 'his' Christmas tree in our home. Now his tree is a table top, 3 foot tall tree. He had decorated it with little mini ornaments as one of our projects. He had Santa on it, elves, Mrs. Santa, reindeer and most especially his beloved Spiderman! I noticed his kept leaning forward into his tree...hmmm, I wondered, what is he doing and saying. His language skills are fantastic but I couldn't quite get his word or his mannerism. My son approached and explained, "he's saying, 'like the Grinch,'". Ohhhhhhhh, yes the Grinch tree at the River Walk. Now I understood. He's emulating what he's seen....totally makes sense and oh, so cute!!. The Grinch...as he is poking he head inside the Christmas tree!! A cute, fun Christmas-time story.Many hours later, I found my bed and in the moments of silence before I found sleep, I thought back over our day and our evening at the River Walk. I found myself smiling to myself as I recalled my precious grandson and his mimicking of the Grinch. Fun, blessed day...now sleep please....ok, sleep...please come oh, dear, I needed sleep. But alas not so fast.
The Grinch filled my head. Owen kept asking, as only a two-year-old can, 'but where is his head, Kaki?" Where is it? Why is his head in the tree?
Indeed, why is his head in the tree? Good question, I hear inside of myself. I pondered the question that night as sleep finally arrived. But I've continued to ponder the visual and my own head. My head is usually stuck right in the middle of my Christmas tree, my Christmas plans, my Christmas expectations, my Christmas present-buying. What would it be like if this Christmas I looked outside of my Christmas tree. What if I looked outside of my traditions and my own family...and saw some other people.
Isn't Christmas for everyone? Have I made this MY OWN Christmas? It's truly not even mine. So how can I steal it just for me and mine? Who can I see outside my Christmas tree? If this is such a great celebration, who else needs to know about it?
When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?”
“Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.”Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” John 21:15
