Returning from the airport, having put the last of my visiting children on a plane, I was overwhelmed by a deep sense of depression. This didn't stem from the family's leaving, for it had been a wonderful gathering of all the relatives for Christmas. A new home, a new bride and groom, and an abundance of gifts under an oversized but beautifully decorated tree made the season one of rejoicing.
Yet during the time when the family was home, I often sat alone in the late evening hours, looking at the Christmas tree. All I could think of was a similar tree illustrated in Mrs. Eddy's poem Christ and Christmas. The verse illustrated by the picture reads,
For heaven's Christus, earthly Eves,
By Adam bid,
Make merriment on Christmas eves,
O'er babe and crib.Chr., pp. 19-21.
