“At this Christmas when Christ comes, will He find a warm heart? Mark the season of Advent by loving and serving others with God’s own love and concern.” Mother Teresa
Advent Season 2024 began on Sunday, December 1. A season filled with goodness and anticipation and celebrated for generations.
A decade of immense pleasure for me were the years as a stay-at-home mother of our two young sons. Advent season benefited in my greater attention to building our own family traditions. Two traditions were particularly eventful: the family’s Advent wreath and the letters to Santa.
Our church always had a large Advent wreath with its weekly lighting of another candle, the four Sundays in Advent.
One year, the Sunday school provided each family with a kit for constructing their own Advent wreath; the green wreath, four candles with holders.
Our lovely Advent wreath centered on our dining room table. Each night during Advent, the four of us would have our simple evening meal in the dining room. . .even if the meal was soup and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Before eating, we’d light that week’s candle and read the Biblical account from the handout that accompanied the kit.
Each week has its own theme: Hope with the Prophesy Candle, Peace with the Bethlehem Candle, Joy with the Shepherd’s Candle, Love with the Angels’ Candle.
It was a special time for our little family and continued for years.
And then writing letters to Santa Claus.
When the older son was three with an infant brother, the three-year-old dictated his letter. The letter concluded with, “I would like a dog or cat, please.”
That Christmas one of the wonderful grandmothers saw to it that each son had a darling, soft and fluffy, stuffed sleepy puppy for bedtime.
That next Christmas, the letter to Santa took on more detail. “I would like a real dog or cat, please.”
Once again, Grandmother came through with an automated dog for each of them. The dogs had leashes that ended in battery-packs and control buttons; these doggies would bark, walk, and leap backward.
By the next year, the younger brother was old enough, barely, to be around young pets.
One of our friend’s Siamese had a litter of pure-bred kittens. Another friend had planned to take one of the kittens and then needed to cancel.
Our friend, asked me, “Would you like to have that kitten?”
It was several weeks before Thanksgiving so the kitten would be old enough for us to have by Christmas Eve.
Kismet for our older son to finally get his annual wish.
In secret, we assembled the kitty care items, feeling good about the turn of events.
Then it was time to write the letter to Santa.
“Dear Santa,…I would like a real dog, please.”
Oh dear!
I suggested that maybe Santa would appreciate some options?
“No, I would really like to have a real dog.”
And so the letter was sent.
On Christmas Eve, his favorite gift was the sweetest little real kitten who instantly charmed her way into his heart. They were fast friends. His real pet, finally.
This Advent season may your memories of past Christmases warm your heart and give you opportunities to share those memories with loved ones.
Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.
Judy Harris is well established in Northern Kentucky life, as a longtime elementary and university educator. A graduate of Thomas More, she began her career there in 1980 where she played a key role in teacher education and introduced students to national and international travel experiences. She has traveled and studied extensively abroad. She enjoys retirement yet stays in daily contact with university students.