“Christmas, children, is not a date. It is a state of mind. ”
― Mary Ellen Chase
This weekend we took Maia to the children’s Christingle service at the school I attended for sixth form. My Mum still works there and my Dad previously worked there for thirty-four years. It was where I grew up and called home for ten years.
We took Maia to a special children’s service in the beautiful chapel where I was christened and where my parents had their marriage blessing.
It was a special occasion as it was the first time we’d taken Maia into a chapel, the first time she’d sung along to hymns, the first time she’d lit a Christmas candle (stuck in an orange..).
She seemed to enjoy it and looked around in awe of the room; the high ceilings, colourful stain-glass windows and sheer magnitude of the place. She was very well behaved, no whining, just rather amusing versions of O Little Town of Bethlehem and Silent Night from Maia, who ahh’d and ooo’d quietly along when she didn’t know the words.
Once when we’d finished O Come All Ye Faithful I did catch her singing the end of “One two three four five, Once I Caught a Fish Alive..” – Sometimes she’d improvise and do her own thing, we were very happy; any singing is a good contribution…
After all the singing, candles and prayers we went for mince pies and cookies with a brief visit from Father Christmas. I chatted to my former Biology teacher who’d given many of her daughter’s clothes to Maia but who I hadn’t seen in years, and we noticed Maia happily stood talking to another teacher, who later said; “She’s very confident for her age isn’t she..”
– “Come on Mummy and Grandma I want to go home now…”
Oh yes..yes she is…
The Colourful Kind 