Sint Nicolas
January 31, 1995 is Chinese New Year, a day of joy for the children to reap “angpao” (a red envelop with money) from their parents, family relations.
It makes me remember the happy time full of delightful surprises, presents of Sint Nicolas on December the fifth. But someone said that it wasn’t good for the children to tell them a lie, to make them belief in a story that Sint Nicolas came from Spain and brings presents for children during their sleep, walking on the roof with his horse. Perhaps he never experienced the happy event in childhood.
That were really days of joyful waiting and surprises. When we were grown up, we were grateful to our parents for those happy days and now we are parents, we continue this happy event, occasion to our children.
With shining, excited eyes, a long time before bed time, the children prepared their shoes with grass for the horse of the Sint under their beds. How they long after the next morning to come as fast as possible and went to bed earlier.
Meanwhile, cautiously, as thieves, it was our turn who were excited and busy to pack, wrap up the parcels and laid them cautiously under their beds. It was delightful to read their funny letters to the Sint in their shoes. Far before daybreak we heard their excited whisper, walking to and fro and softly, carefully opened their presents. We had to restrain our laughs as we pretended to be sleeping.
To make the children happy, that was the precious gift of Sint Nicolas to the children. Making us happy by making our children happy that was his gift to us, their parents.
I told my grandchildren that they should tell the truth. They may tell a lie in fun or a beautiful lie as the story of Sint Nicolas that would make one grateful, happy for it afterwards. Or, when they are forced to obey a wicked command or request, except they have the courage to belie them as the hunter who fooled the wicked queen with presenting the heart of a wild boar instead of Snow White.
Sint Nicolas to me now, is someone who brings gifts, happiness, blessings, without disclosing his identity, to free the receiver from a moral debt.
Jayakarta, February 15, 1995
January 31, 1995 is Chinese New Year, a day of joy for the children to reap “angpao” (a red envelop with money) from their parents, family relations.
It makes me remember the happy time full of delightful surprises, presents of Sint Nicolas on December the fifth. But someone said that it wasn’t good for the children to tell them a lie, to make them belief in a story that Sint Nicolas came from Spain and brings presents for children during their sleep, walking on the roof with his horse. Perhaps he never experienced the happy event in childhood.
That were really days of joyful waiting and surprises. When we were grown up, we were grateful to our parents for those happy days and now we are parents, we continue this happy event, occasion to our children.
With shining, excited eyes, a long time before bed time, the children prepared their shoes with grass for the horse of the Sint under their beds. How they long after the next morning to come as fast as possible and went to bed earlier.
Meanwhile, cautiously, as thieves, it was our turn who were excited and busy to pack, wrap up the parcels and laid them cautiously under their beds. It was delightful to read their funny letters to the Sint in their shoes. Far before daybreak we heard their excited whisper, walking to and fro and softly, carefully opened their presents. We had to restrain our laughs as we pretended to be sleeping.
To make the children happy, that was the precious gift of Sint Nicolas to the children. Making us happy by making our children happy that was his gift to us, their parents.
I told my grandchildren that they should tell the truth. They may tell a lie in fun or a beautiful lie as the story of Sint Nicolas that would make one grateful, happy for it afterwards. Or, when they are forced to obey a wicked command or request, except they have the courage to belie them as the hunter who fooled the wicked queen with presenting the heart of a wild boar instead of Snow White.
Sint Nicolas to me now, is someone who brings gifts, happiness, blessings, without disclosing his identity, to free the receiver from a moral debt.
Jayakarta, February 15, 1995
No comments:
Post a Comment