There in Spirit

Hello TUUC Blogger-Moms and Dads,

I was sad to have missed the session last week and was hoping someone might be able to summarize how it went?

John

Holiday Cheer

Greetings to all TUUC parents,

John here, just wanting to wish you all a wonderful and cozy holiday. As the morning fast approacheth, we're feeling the joy here in North Tacoma. Rose has officially learned two songs including "Rudoph" and "Jingle Bells" so we'll be working those vocal cords tomorrow for sure. Linda's back at work and we've settled into our regular routine, having had a rough few weeks during her back-pain issues. We're warm, safe and healthy for the holiday: the greatest gift imaginable.

To one and all - Enjoy the magic of parenthood on Christmas Day.

John, Linda and Rose

Kids' Christmas pageant

We should get folks who were there w/ cameras today to post some pix on this blog. (No id's of kids, please)

Unfortunately, we had no cameras with us today.

This was, for me, the best kids' Christmas pageant I've seen our congregation put together -- and that includes both ones I've written and participated in. Deanna is a genius and so are our kids.

They really kept the attention of the entire room full of adults, and that's saying something with this bunch. Also a nice message about welcoming the strangers in our midst, adapting to changes, etc.

Three cheers!

Rationalizing a UU Christmas

See comments under "The problem as I see it..."

The Problem as I see it...

I'm all for developing special traditions that will allow my daughter to identify with the family. In large part this will involve the Advent Calendar, maybe some help with decorations and, of course, lots of music and singing on the home stereo. However, I'd like for Rose to experience a continuity of tradition with the greater community as well. This is one of the reasons I'm back at church, after all, to introduce her to a variety of people in the hope that she can make some meaningful connections with like-minded people.

So here's where it gets complicated for me, because I know that in many of her other day-to-day interactions - at school, the YMCA and elsewhere - the default explanation for all the hoopla will be "it's Christmas, the birth of Christ". And I will likely find myself stating the UU position of inclusion and acceptance of the world's many religions and traditions. "But Dad," I can hear my increasingly inquisitive daughter saying, "why does everyone else just call it Christmas"? Or perhaps even, "But Dad, how can we honor a particular religion during this season if that religion doesn't itself celebrate Christmas"? I suppose that's the point when I'll send her to bed without her supper - that'll teach her to ask so many questions. ;-).

All the holiday imagery we see, the lights and colors, the bustle of shopping, the trees and the music, they all seem to turn inevitably back towards the Christian tradition. The focal point to any child who has ever been to the mall is going to be "C-Day" so long as there is Santa Claus to visit and toys to be yearned for. So this instinctive feeling I have to just go with the flow might not necessarily send the right message, but honoring the other religions seems a little shallow and hypocritical to me: I know so little about them myself. Giving the others a fair shake will involve some research and real attention and I suspect that any ritual involving "honoring other traditions" will be superficial at best. Call me lazy, but part of me really just wants to sit and enjoy my cup o' joe and let her have her fun.

a new way to live in this season

John's comments really spoke to me . . .
Last year, we tried to switch our family's focus to yule/solstice, and on simplicity and giving. We made it to a certain extent, but I can't get buy in from everyone in my family, and I feel dragged along on Christian-oriented elements of the seasons. I LOVE Christmas music, almost all of it, even if it doesn't reflect what I believe. I think I love it because music is my connection to that warm and snuggly feeling of my childhood. I've purchased yule and revels music to make these part of my children's auditory memories and traditions.
Last year, Ashlan helped me create our own advent calendar that will be part of our own family's tradition (I modeled it off of the one my mom created from felt when I was a kid, but ours is more focused on winter/yule symbols). We celebrated the solstice with a big celebration at TUUC (we decided to focus on the "Simplicity Vespers" instead this year). However, I found Xmas day miserable, with family politics, over-gifting, greed, and the like. I never enjoy this, but I am part of the problem (I'm over sensitive about gifts and traditions). My goal this year is to help my sons see that this time can be peaceful and reflective, about giving and family and welcoming winter and a new year. Being in the Revels this year is making this both harder and easier . . . I guess we'll see how we manage in December!

Thanks for the invite!

This blog promises to be a great way to trade info and ideas about kids and faith. I'll post something coherent about holidays later, I promise. It's past my bedtime at the moment.