Christmas Eve 2010

By Robert M. Parkhurst

 

Christmas Eve we were in Atascadero.   Jennifer, my daughter and her husband Todd had come down for Christmas.   Son, Ken, and his wife, Jerissa, and the kids had come over to our place and there was general confusion that morning.   Grandma Marge, Jerissa and Jennifer were buzzing about the kitchen in preparation for a dinner that evening.   Marge suggested we all go to Firestone’s for lunch in San Luis Obispo.   Jerissa said the children needed to take naps so she would stay at home with them.   Todd drove over to Firestone’s and we had a great lunch.   Marge and I shared a bar-b-qued tri-tip sandwich and we all ate in the sports bar.   When we got back to our house, it was decided that we didn’t have enough chairs for the table to which Ken had added two new leaves.

 

I decided to go to the oak furniture store in Paso Robles to see if I could get a couple of matching chairs that we were short.   I was surprised that they had about ten chairs that were an almost perfect match to ours and they were on special sale, usually $100. but now only $79. for the holidays.   I thought I would be lucky to get two chairs into my car that also contained two child car seats in the back.   I told the proprietor I would buy all the chairs he could get into my car.   I was again surprised that he got one in the front seat next to the driver’s set, one crammed in on top of the child seats in the back and even third one on its side in the trunk.   This was perfect since another couple and their two children were also going to join us for dinner after the special mass at the Catholic Church.   The mass started at 4:30 p.m. and we got a phone call from Ken telling us that the church parking lot was already full.  

 

We arrived and Todd dropped us off and went to find a place to park.   We went inside and looked for Ken --- he is usually easy to spot at 6’3’’ he is just one head above the crowd.   He was over to the side with Kenichi.   Jerissa, Anderson and baby Josef were down in front center where we were told we were to sit.  Singing started and there were lots of kids ages five to early teens dressed in costumes as shepherds, wise-men and so on, sitting around on the floor near the altar just barely out of sight.   This was going to be a re-creation of the manger scene and the birth of the Christ child.   There was a life-size doll on the seat next to Jerissa who was on the center isle.   As the lights dimmed and the stage lights gradually brightened, the shepherds took their places on the polished concrete steps to the altar.  Down the center isle came a twelve year old girl dressed in a long white robe and bare feet playing the role of the Virgin Mary.  To my surprise, she didn’t take the life-sized doll.   Instead she was handed my grandson baby Josef just two months old!   As she walked up the polished concrete steps, my heart jumped into my throat, my head was pounding - - -  what if she tripped on that long white gown and dropped baby Josef.   I was scared pale.  I sat down as Jennifer tried to comfort me.   I looked at Grandma Marge and she looked scared, too.   People behind us were gasping.   I was too scared to think clearly.  If I jumped over the pew and tried to grab the baby, the girl might get scared and drop him.  I was frozen in fear.  When it was over - - -  it seemed like an eternity, the girl made it down the polished concrete steps.  Each step she took I cringed.   She handed baby Josef back to Jerissa.  I gave a sigh of relief as I fell back into the pew.  

 

A few moments later all the children, whether they were in the play or not, were invited to the altar.   There was a big rush and some parents took their smaller children up the stairs to the altar.   Jerissa took baby Josef up there as well - - - yes, in a long purple gown that went all the way to the floor just like the white one worn by the girl who played the Virgin Mary. 

 

Then there needed to be pictures taken of baby Josef in the arms of Mary and then in the arms of several other children who played other parts in the play - - - some of them looked about seven.   People were pushing to get the best camera shot.  Who was going to drop baby Josef down the polished concrete steps?   The priest, Father George, was nowhere to be seen!

 

We finally all left the church.  Baby Josef’s car seat was locked in the church office in another building.   Someone got a key, but they were unable to open the door.   I took the key and opened it.   Who was watching Anderson and Kenichi in the busy parking lot  where parishioners were all trying to see who could get their cars out of the lot first to go home to Christmas Eve dinners? 

 

We all made it home.  I want to give great credit to Father George for making me pray more at that service than I’ve ever prayed at any church service before and showing me what a burden it is to be the grandfather of baby Jesus!