Christmas without grandparents?
       Impossible!

 And the first Christmas story
       without grandparents?
       Surely an oversight.

 The arrival of grandchildren
       touches unexpected
       pre-programmed buttons.

 Emotions and feelings explode
       so that angel voices
       and heavenly choruses
       seem believable and appropriate.

 After all
       as one book on grandparents says:
       “Our conviction is that the bond
       between grandparents and
       grandchildren is second only
       in emotional power and influence
       to the relationship between
       children and parents.”

 The texts are from Luke’s story.
       We’ll leave theologizing and 
       other speculating to others.
       We’re just trying to imagine
       where the grandparents fin in.

 Thanks to Michael, Lauren, Andrew,
       Kyle, and Grace
       for helping me understand
       what Jesus’ grandparents
       thought and felt.          —Art Morgan