Epiphany

On this feast of the Epiphany, I am glad that I am like my French cousins and enjoy Christmas until now.  I have never been one of those people that chucks the Christmas tree out the day after Christmas.  That's probably why I do not start decorating immediately after Thanksgiving...the tree does not dry out quite so much.

At this time of year, I also always think back to being very pregnant at Christmas time and wonder how a woman could travel on a donkey when about to give birth!  And labor to give birth in the cold!

So what wise men (or women) have visited you today?  What gift(s) did he/she bring?  And what gifts have you brought to this day?  As I try to answer that myself, I wonder if I underestimate my own gifts.  What do I have to offer the baby in the manger?  How many moms undervalue "feeding the hungry" when they cook dinner or "comforting the sorrowing" as their children lament the last day of Christmas vacation?  To all the moms who quietly take care of the tasks of daily life, value your contributions.  Just think of what life would be like for your family without all those little things and know that you do far more in the big scheme of things than the most overpaid CEO.  Your children and significant other are proof of that.