Epiphany

We are now back to school after about 3 weeks off.  We packed in a lot of fun during those 3 weeks, but it's also nice to be back in our routine.  Sunday was Epiphany and I snapped this sweet picture of my grandmother, Evie, and my mom singing hymns together at church.

After the service, we had a lunch and people stayed to de-Christmas the sanctuary.  Evie was a big help in putting the wreaths away.

She said, "Look, I'm a Christmas tree!"

This gorgeous girl

Sunday night, Evie joined me and my Dad for a service at St. Mary's Episcopal Cathedral.  It was Evie's first time in this beautiful place which was the site of my brother's wedding and the place we go every Christmas Eve.  I was so impressed with how quietly she took it all in: the pipe organ, the process, the incense.  Our Presbyterian church services are not as high church as the cathedral services are, but Evie seemed to understand the reverence needed in this beautiful place.  We ended the service in candlelight and then walked out to the place where they were burning the greens.

Holding Grannadaddy's hand as we walk to the fire

People brought their trees and other greenery for the fire.  Evie loved watching them go up in flames.

My Dad wrote this to me after he told me the story and I asked him to send it to me for inclusion here:

I resumed picking up Evie from school on Tuesdays today after the Christmas break.

After she got into the car seat and I was pulling the seat belt across her, when our faces were quite close, Evie said, "I like being with you," and I replied, "And I like being with you, too."

When I started the car, the radio came on, tuned at the time to MSNBC.  I turned the sound down immediately and Evie said, "Grannadaddy, I'm sorry you have to turn the radio off, but I like to be able to talk to you."  I said, "Evie, I would much rather talk to you than listen to the radio."

As we drove toward donuts and home, Evie asked me, "Do you think Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is real?"  Not wanting to upset any apple carts, I said, "Yes, I think Rudolph is real."  Evie said, "Well, I don't think Rudolph is real.  Reindeer can't fly and they don't have red noses."  I said that those were good points.  She said, "Why are so many things in movies and theater not real?"  I said, "Well, some of them are real in the sense that a play or a movie can be about things that really happened, but now people are acting them out again."

After our stop at Howard's Donuts, I asked Evie, "So, even if Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is not real, is there something we could learn from the story?'  Evie said, "Well, I think it is that we should be kind to people who are not usual."  I both grinned from ear to ear and teared up, having learned again from this wise child.