It is yet another finals week, and we have just discovered some intrepid wee mice scampering in and out of our bedrooms. They're obviously babies, because they haven't learned stealth, but go hopping around in broad daylight (they're also little and fuzzy, and quite adorable). This makes for some amusing scenes (Victoria and I were highly entertained by one that was trying to hide from us behind a clear glass bottle), but it also means that we have a nest, an infiltration. We've set traps, but the bait has been mysteriously disappearing, likely indicating that Mom and Dad Mouse are sending the tiny ones to scoop up the bait and bring it back to the nest, because they're dumb enough to comply and too light to activate the traps. So, I think we're resorting to mousing. What fun.
How's that for an anecdote? More thoughts from the term will surface over break, I'm sure, but what is immediate in my mind is that today is St. Nicholas' Day. This is an important day in the Advent cycle (which began three weeks ago), where we celebrate one of the great saints who conveyed the love of Christ to those around him. The story is that he knew a poor family who had daughters, and took it upon himself to provide the girls with money for dowries (thus saving them from their father's intention of prostituting them for extra funds). It became a tradition to give gifts on December 5th or 6th in remembrance of St. Nicholas, a tradition that is still very common in Northern Europe, where children leave a shoe out over night, to find it filled with goodies in the morning. Gift-giving at Christmas has a long heritage. So...St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, Father Christmas...remember where this tradition derives from, who he really is and what he did, and that he did it for Christ. I know I'm inspired even more to give gifts out of love and in celebration of Christ's Nativity.
With that, cheers to you for Christmastime!
3 comments:
Maybe you will leave out some cheese for your wee little mice ;) Glad you are back blogging!
I loved reading your post today. The reminder of St. Nick's origins is especially meaningful. Thanks, friend. I hope to see you while you are local!
Love,
Amy
Thanks for that, Ashli. St. Nicholas means a lot to me for the same reason--the real guy was way better than Santa Claus!
I have a funny thing to share. I don't know if you like the TV show Monk, but I was watching part 1 of the finale a few weeks ago when my mom asked me what was happening and I said, "Monk has been poisoned and needs the anecdote!"
Haha, silly me. :) I know the difference, but it came out wrong. Then I remembered the name of your blog. Maybe you can write an anecdote here that's as effective as an antidote!
Post a Comment