Dear Reader:
Every time I walk to my car I pass my Ukrainian tree flag… it reminds me how easy it is to push suffering of others on the back burners … while so many unfortunate families and lives have been turned upside down.
And then I came across a sweet Christmas legend synonymous with Ukraine and I thought the story was an endearing way to reflect on how similar we all are as a human race, especially when it comes to the love of our children and Christmas magic.
The Spider and the Christmas Story
There once was a poor widow who lived in a cramped aged hut. She lived there with three small children … outside her home was a tall pine tree that one day dropped a pinecone that soon started to grow from the soil as if by magic… the children tended to it every day and under their loving care it was strong and ready to be cut and brought inside for Christmas.
The happiness at their first Christmas tree was quickly diminished, however, when they realized they had no ornaments to place on the tree and it was Christmas Eve… too late… too late.
It was the spiders hidden in every nook and cranny … who heard the quiet sobbing of the children that special Christmas Eve! Something had to be done to ” save Christmas” and the spiders knew exactly what to do. Immediately they got to work!
They created beautiful webs … decorating them with elegant and beautiful silky patterns. When the children awoke the next morning as the sun began to rise… the magic began.
The spiders had opened all the shutters and even cracked the door… the sun’s rays slid across the floor and then began to climb the tree …turning each spider web into glittering gold and silver reflections.
The mother and children held hands and danced around their dazzling Christmas tree… knowing that this Christmas would always be remembered as the year of the “Christmas Miracle! ”
Today spider webs are as synonymous with an Ukrainian Christmas as pickles with German Christmas trees and woven braided Christmas hearts with Danish trees.
So until tomorrow…
Today is my favorite day-Winnie the Pooh
ichaseferalcats
John Turner
Legally Ohm
Becky Dingle
🥰
What an amazingly beautiful story. Thank you for sharing more inspiration with us as another day dawns here in British Columbia. The fires burn on but the fighters persevere and tomorrow will for sure be better!
The firemen… the real heroes in this escalated season of wildfires. We must pray for their safety throughout this most challenging season of destruction, human suffering, and sacrifice.
Sent from my iPhone