How the Story of Divine Birth Showed My Mother Who I Really Was
Spoiler Alert: I am not divine
How does any mother recognize who her firstborn is? What his talents are, or his intelligence? With whom can she compare him?
My mom experienced this, or so the story goes in my family. All of this may not be true. But it’s the only version we know.
And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree…
The kindergarten class at Mt. Hebron United Methodist Day School put on a Christmas show every year. The families and the church were invited. There were songs and skits, jokes and costumes.
Several weeks before the program in 1969, as I was about to turn 5, Miss Lily Buff called my mother.
“Brenda, we want Brian to recite the Christmas story in this year’s pageant.”
“Recite the Christmas story? Do you want him to memorize something?”
“Yes, Luke 2:1–14. In the King James Version. He’ll recite it near the end of the program.”
My mother paused. “Miss Lily, I don’t think Brian can do that. That sounds like a lot. He’s not that smart.”
(At this point in our story questions of accuracy creep in. Mom now swears she didn’t say that, but my Dad is sure she…
