Mama Wart tried not to smile as she watched Angelina walk toward her. She had been expecting this and wondered why it hadn’t happened sooner. Her young daughter was naturally curious, and Christmas was one time of year she just had to ask questions. The look on Angelina’s face was a mixture of curiosity, determination, and wonder.

“Mama, please tell me what is going on! I have been trying to figure this out for weeks now!” Her voice was somewhat shaky as the words came tumbling out, even before she had stopped walking.

“What is it, dear? What is troubling you so?” Mama knew very well what it was but wanted Angelina to express her concerns openly.

“Now, Mama, I need to know what is going on! One day, we were completely settled on our little patio at Grandma Sue’s apartment, content to watch the people come and go on the street below. The next day, our family was in a completely different place, with a huge yard and scary birds that walked right up to me and pecked around my feet. But that’s not all, Mama. I need to know what happened to Thanksgiving! Grandma Sue always makes a big deal around her home for Thanksgiving, and this year, we were all alone—not a single person was here! Now, it’s almost Christmas again, and I am just not sure I can handle any more changes. This whole situation is very stressful for me; doesn’t it bother you, Mama?”

Angelina stopped to breathe as she searched her mother’s face for assurance that the whole world had not gone crazy.

Mama Wart smiled and motioned for Angelina to sit near her. As she did, Papa Wart and the boys, Hiram and Harold, looked up from the game they had been playing and realized that Mama was most likely about to tell a story. They all loved Mama’s stories, so they trotted over, sat near Mama, and waited for a story to unfold.

“Dear Angelina,” Mama began. “I will admit I was a bit stressed at first. Change is never easy! But now I am perfectly at peace with our new home. We have this big, beautiful yard and all the birds to keep us happy, not to mention the occasional bunny rabbit that hops on through our lovely new domain. I understand this change has been difficult for you and the boys, but I think we will soon feel settled here.”

“I guess it has been peaceful not having people always walking by, concerts playing in the street, or crazy loud cars gunning their motors early in the morning. Hmmm, I hadn’t stopped to think about how quiet it is here. I just wasn’t prepared for everything to change so suddenly.”

“Well, my dear daughter, I can tell you from experience that one is never really ready for change. And I want to talk more about that in a minute, but first, I want to answer your other question—about Thanksgiving. It did seem strangely quiet and a little lonely when the whole family left to celebrate Thanksgiving on a cruise ship. Well, not just Thanksgiving. Grandma Sue and Grandpa Don also wanted to celebrate their 55^th wedding anniversary with all their family. Now Grandma is trying to catch up on everything she needs to do to prepare for Christmas.”

“Ooohhh….. 55 years is a long time, isn’t it, Mama? Wow, how long have you and Papa Wart been together? Do you celebrate your anniversary? When is it?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa, my dear, one question at a time!” Mama Wart chuckled, and Papa Wart snorted in the way he always did when something struck him as funny. “Yes, 55 years is a long time, especially for a marriage these days. It’s becoming a rare event. As for me and Papa, we still have a long way to go to catch up to 55 years, and I’m not sure that human years and warthog years are the same, so I guess we will just keep going as long as we can. As for our anniversary, we don’t really have a specific day, dear, we just celebrate being together every day.” Mama smiled at Papa, and Papa winked back at her, causing her to giggle.

“Well, Mama, I hope you and Papa do make it to 55 years! I will be cheering for you all the way!” Angelina stomped her foot for emphasis as she smiled at her mama and then at her papa. “But you said you had something else to say about change, Mama. I haven’t forgotten, and I’m waiting to hear it.” Sitting down next to Papa, Angelina snuggled close to him and looked at Mama with expectancy.

Mama sighed. “Yes, little one, you rarely forget anything, and although I love that about you, it sometimes wears me out. So, change is inevitable. Do you know what inevitable means?” As Angelina shook her head side to side, the boys glanced at each other to see if either one recognized that word and then quickly looked back at Mama, not wanting the other to know they weren’t sure they knew what inevitable meant either.

“Inevitable means that something cannot be avoided or prevented from happening. Just think about what it would be like if nothing ever changed. Change is an essential part of life; change is what moves us forward and keeps us going. Do you understand?” All three children nodded their heads and waited for Mama to continue.

“It was a big change when we moved to our balcony home, remember? And now it’s been another big change to move here. But we have been happy through each change because we are together, which gives us the courage to go through any change. We don’t have to do it alone!”

Papa Wart proudly said, “Mama, that was very well said. I will never be afraid of any change because I have all of you with me, which makes me feel happy and secure. But besides all of you, I also have God with me and I know I can always trust him, even in times of change!”

Mama’s face suddenly got serious, and she looked deep into the eyes of her children as she spoke. “I’m glad you mentioned that, Papa, because it leads me to an important question. Children, there is only one thing that never changes. Would you like to know what it is?”

The children were wide-eyed, waiting for Mama to continue.

“The one thing that never changes is God and His Love for us! No matter what we do or say, even though he may be disappointed in us sometimes, He never stops loving us and never stops wanting us to love Him back! In a world where so many things change daily, it is comforting to know that God will always be right by us, loving us, trying to help us make the right choices, and waiting for us to reach out and love Him back.”

“Thank you, Mama,” Angelina moved to give her mama a kiss. You always have just the right answers to my questions! Can we sing Away in a Manger now? I just love that song!”

“Of course we can! Papa, can you lead this little choir in a few Christmas carols?”

Papa beamed a big smile and soon his deep baritone voice could be heard all around the neighborhood as The Wart Family began to sing together while they looked overhead at the many stars in the sky:

Away in a manger, no crib for a bed,
The little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head.

The stars in the sky looked down where he lay,
The little Lord Jesus asleep in the hay.

The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes,
But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes.

I love Thee, Lord Jesus, look down from the sky
And stay by my cradle ’til morning is nigh.

Be near me, Lord Jesus, I ask Thee to stay
Close by me forever, and love me, I pray.

Bless all the dear children in thy tender care,

And take us to heaven, to live with Thee there.

Merry Christmas, everyone!!