Danny Expands His Ideas About Christmas–Chapter Twenty Three

DANNY EXPANDS HIS IDEAS ABOUT CHRISTMAS

(This had been posted in December and here it is in book order.)

On a Monday in the middle of December, before the morning's singing and dancing had even begun, I caught up with Sam.

"Sam, how are we celebrating Christmas here?" I asked.

He looked up and gave me a simple answer: "By taking a two-week vacation."

I wasn't satisfied. "I’m serious. Back in ol’ Mississippi, Christmas was about the only time of year people—and even boy-people—actually worked to be nice to one another." I thought of our friend. "Gordo said most of his family would think our school isn’t a 'good' school if we didn't celebrate the birth of Jesus. He’s so worried about it, he never even mentions the school at home this time of year. So...?"

Sam gave me a blank look, letting the question hang in the air for a moment.

"Could we talk about that in our cohort?" I suggested.

Sam smiled. "Only if everyone in our group wants to. Is that okay?"

"Sure," I said.

The next day, Sam brought it to the group. "Some of you would like to discuss Christmas because of things you’ve heard from your families," he began. "As you know, we don't teach or preach any definitive ideas about religion or beliefs here. We want you all to be free thinkers."

He leaned in closer to our circle. "So, what do you think of this? Starting next Monday, each of us can share what we’ve learned about Christmas—the customs and ideas of our own families. If you don't want to share, you can just tell us why. How’s that?"

Everyone agreed. Gordo and Elie volunteered to go first on Monday.

When Monday came, Elie took the lead. "My Mom’s parents usually visit from Oklahoma, so it’s always a big time to talk about it," she started. "Dad and Mom are Catholics. I was baptized in that religion, but the only time we really go to church is for the Midnight Mass here in Monte Vista."

She described the scene with wide eyes. "It’s quite a production. Everyone sings traditional hymns, and the choir is amazing. The pastor, Father Grady, is the center of attention. I think he’s supposed to be like Jesus at the so-called Last Supper, changing wafers and wine into the body and blood of Jesus."

Then, her voice dropped, and she looked down at her hands.

"Last year, I got my grandma and grandpa really upset," Elie admitted. "I told them that changing the wafer into Jesus’s body and the wine into his blood was just a symbolic change, not a real one. I was told right then that I was a heretic."

She looked up at us, her eyes a bit glassy. "I don’t know what that is, but I know it’s really bad because my gramma and grandpa made me cry. I think that’s the reason they aren't visiting us this year."

The room was quiet. Elie took a shaky breath. "Anyway, I think my grandparents believe Jesus was God and continues to be God. I don’t understand it at all, and to be honest, I don’t care. My Dad thinks Jesus was just a very enlightened man, kind of like Gandhi or Martin Luther King, but he never says anything when Mom’s parents are around."

She gave a small, sad shrug. "Last Christmas, he got angry at Mom’s folks when they made me cry. He tried to be a peacemaker, but it didn’t work. So, I don’t know what to believe about Christmas anymore. I just like to think of it as a joyful celebration of life and love, like Dad says."

She looked around the circle, her voice barely a whisper. "I’m interested in what all your families think. Oh... and please don’t tell anyone about what I said about my family."

It looks like I will have to wait till next week but I'm glad to here that I don't have to conform to any one idea about Christmas.