Did you know that today -- Sunday, Dec. 26, is Second Christmas?

The Amish celebrate two days of Christmas starting with December 25 and continuing to December 26. The first day is devoted to the spiritual, to the celebration of the birth of Jesus. The next day is spent visiting with family and friends and sharing simple gifts.

I like that a whole day is devoted to the religious celebration of the birth of Christ. It doesn't get all mixed up with stress and fuss and gifts. Instead, the biggest gift -- that of the life of the Saviour -- is the sole focus of attention on Christmas Day. We in the Englisch world might go to a church service or some kind of religious celebration, but then the reason we celebrate Christmas gets lost in the hustle and bustle of a big meal, elaborate and too many gifts, and so on ... sometimes even a sports event.

As Amish families gather in the warmth of their home after the harvest, they slow down and enjoy their time together -- especially Christmas. Soon enough there will be spring planting and the whole cycle starts up again.

I was reminded of Second Christmas yesterday when my daughter visited with her four year old son. At some point K-bear (his nickname)  and I were sitting in the Florida room -- a glorified name for a sun porch -- and she was inside the house. Well, I love making him the bearer of messages because he'll repeat anything, usually with a big giggle. I told him to yell in through the door to "come out here and let's spend some together time! It's Christmas!"  When she didn't appear, I went to investigate and found that she was putting together one of those Swiffer mops I'd bought. She does love a project! Since she knows I'm just not into assembling things like that, she quietly put it together for me. Then, being a neatnik, she had to take it for a test drive on the tile floors in the kitchen, living room, and dining room. If she didn't look so much like me and I vividly remember the labor pains, I'd wonder if she were mine! I HATE to clean. While that's the last thing I wanted her to do on such a day, it was a wonderful sign that she cares for her mom whose back gives her fits with that sort of activity.


It was a nice follow-up to my son picking up his grandmother on Christmas Eve and driving her to his house for dinner. I am always the one who does the picking up and dropping off and it's getting harder to help Mom in and out of the car. Enter my son, a forrmer occupational therapy assistant who is currently studying to become a registered nurse. Again, a wonderful present for me.

I hope you and your family and friendship circle enjoyed love and the spirit of giving yesterday AND today. And I pray that you and I in the words of Scrooge (one of my favorite characters) "keep the spirit of Christmas alive all year!"

Love,

Barbara