Little Sacred Spaces

    A nativity scene is featured in many homes at Christmas time.  In my family we also referred to it as the manger scene. Some sets include shepherds, sheep, and wise men - perhaps even camels - but central to the scene are Mary, Joseph, the baby Jesus and an angel. The scene reminds us of the religious meaning of Christmas, the celebration of Jesus' birth, and the much-loved story of how this came about.      Nativity scenes come in all shapes, sizes, and styles. This one that graces our home now once belonged to my mother. It has replaced the set that our kids grew up with since I gave it to my daughter. When the kids were little we hid baby Jesus until Christmas Eve. Vera and Peter took turns putting Jesus in the manger when we got home from church that night. When they became teenagers, and Peter had grown wiser, he realized that nobody would have been in the stable before Christmas Eve, so he hid Mary and Joseph, too. Vera would try to find where he ...

       I think most people who celebrate Christmas will agree that the best ones are those shared with children who are young and innocent enough to believe in magic. My brother, Steve, and I both remember the Christmas Eve when we were three and four, that he got in my crib with me so we could share our excitement. There was so much magic in the air, and we were sure we heard sleigh bells on the roof!     The little fireplace in this arrangement was mine when I was a child, and the little boy waiting for Santa was part of a gift from my Aunt Jeanie when I was very young. He used to sleep inside of a snowball ornament, lost or broken long ago. Now he sleeps in a little rocker, waiting for morning when he will see what Santa has left for him under the tree that Mark made for me.      I created this arrangement to delight my granddaughter when she comes to visit, and to remind me of the enchantment of a child's Christmas   When Mark a...