Blankets for Baby Jesus

Could I get my young son to understand the reason for the season?

- By KATI DIEDRICK, Savage, Minnesota

My five-year-old, Richie, wandered into the kitchen that December morning dragging along his favorite possession, his white baby blanket. “I asked Santa for a lotta toys this year,” he said, “and I’m gonna add more to my list.”

Oh, boy! I thought. With Christmas around the corner, Santa and presents were all Richie talked about. I loved his enthusiasm, but my husband, John, and I had taught his older brothers, eleven-year-old Chris and seven-year- old Will, that although presents were nice, the real celebration was the birth of Jesus. I wanted Richie to understand that too. But was he too young?

That afternoon, I sat Richie down for a heart-to-heart. He settled beside me and arranged his blanket on his lap.

“What does having a birthday mean to you?” I asked him.

“Presents!” he said.

“Of course!” I laughed. “Well, soon it will be Baby Jesus’ birthday. What do you think a birthday means to him?”

Richie looked puzzled. “Presents?” he asked.

Hmm. Not the answer I was hoping for. I tried a different tack. “So Jesus is the son of God,” I said. “He came to save the world. What do you think he would want for a present?”

Richie thought hard, drawing his eyebrows together. Then his face lit up. He had the answer.