Christmas Without Borders

Christmas without Borders

24 Dec 2018

Yesterday I received my first black Christmas card. So did my cat, Oliver. He also received money gift in a Hari Raya envelope to buy cat treats. They were from Niq, my young tutee.

He told me that he had to use a special pen to write on the black background & drew Santa and his deer. He had used these cards because they were free.

I showed him the figurines for the Nativity scene and invited him to arrange them while telling the story behind Christmas.

He happily accepted the invitation and even included me by giving me the roles of the Angel and Mother Mary. He was King, Shepherd, Sheep, Donkey and Cow.

The Himalayan singing bowl added a sense of tempo to our collaboration.

In Niq’s Nativity story, every character had a speaking part, including the animals. And he was very specific about how the animals would protect Jesus when he was still a “precious baby,” but once he became a “grown up”, he would be a shepherd and take good care of them. And when he had trouble carrying wood in the forest, the Angel would help him.

I was quietly amazed at how his story was imbued with symbolic details for someone his age.

Before he left my home, he went to check on Oliver sleeping behind the washing machine in the utility area. And I heard Niq wishing the Cat “Merry Christmas” and telling him that he had made him a Christmas card and given money to buy him treats as Christmas present.