I Heard Them
By Susan Galpin-Tyree
I heard them. I did. I heard sleigh bells.
There is no doubt in my mind even to this day. I was about seven years old and peering out of my bedroom window into that night sky with twinkling stars that went into infinity. My ears were straining to hear the faint, yet distinctive rhythmic jingle of sleigh bells. Santa and his reindeer with a sleigh laden with presents were flying above our house.
My older cousin who was visiting replied to my excitement with a skeptical comment, but she could not dissuade me from believing.
During this time of year, let’s reflect on our personal beliefs and celebrations, and how others around our communities, our country, and around the world celebrate their beliefs. Whether you celebrate Chanukah, Kwanzaa, St. Lucia Day, Christmas, the Winter Solstice, or any other event or celebration by any other name, there is no doubt that common threads connect us all.
I think of that cousin standing next to me. Perhaps if we had had a conversation around our different beliefs, I might have learned then that we had more in common than what we thought.
