Raising Magnolias

Dear Fritz Family

Christmas Cards! I love them! I love the pictures and the letters and the stories and I love hanging them up and praying over the families with my children, and I love knowing that someone thought of us. Yes! I love receiving Christmas cards!

Can you hear it? You know, the “B” word? I’m trying so hard and yet it’s there….it’s coming…..I can’t seem to help my….

But!

But this year, as they trickle in, they are like angry little elves who’ve been worked too hard; sarcastic little messengers eager to squash the Christmas spirit—they are the Scrooge and the Grinch and they are whispering in my ear, “what’s your name? Are you still a family? You’re not a Fritz. You can’t open me.”

The angry elves remind me that their Dad has more friends than I do (and seriously, he really does) and they remind me that we are not a family; at least not that family; not the family listed on the card.

The Grinch says remember when they were your friends? Ha! How funny that you ever thought his friends had become your friends. All the trips you took and meals you shared; crying together, laughing and sharing together—why, they were never your friends. Always his.

Uhm, OK. Sorry. I can be a little slow, Mr. Grinch.

And Scrooge adds, remember how you thought the lines would never been drawn, in fact don’t you remember actually hearing those words, “the lines will never be drawn” and yet here you stand.

On the other side of the line.

But Christmas is about forgiveness, right? Wait, is it? I dont’ know. Not really. You never get a card that says Peace. Love. Forgiveness. Christmas is about waiting. Christmas is about a Savior. Christmas is about God becoming man so that we could be forgiven and yes, I’m thinking because of that we are also called to forgive so let’s make the leap. Christmas is a perfect time to forgive. To let it go.

Or in other words—-Get the HALE over it!

I get it. You chose him. 2013 is quickly approaching it and I’m ready to get the HALE over it!

Of course now that I’ve been all grouchy, everyone’s going to be too scared to send us Christmas cards. Please do it anyway! There is nothing like tearing into a Christmas card and seeing Peace and Joy and Christ himself, in the faces of our children; of our families and friends. Please do it anyway, so that I can remember that there are others standing on this side of the line. With me. With us. Please do it anyway and know that, in a tradition we learned from special friends, we will pull your card down and we will pray for your family. Please do it anyway and address it anyway you like….to the Fritz Family or the Fritz-Hale family or to Myra Katherine, Coulter and Emma Claire. I have a lot of names. I get it. Then you throw in the double-name thing. Some people even think Katherine is my last name. In fact, some people that call me MK, still spell Katherine with a C. MK Catherine. I’m not kidding.

I’m a little obsessed with names. I can admit that it’s an issue for me. And seriously, call Emma Claire, “Emma” and I will go all crazy-mom on you. Oh, wait. I’m completely kidding. I keep forgetting I can’t make jokes like that. I am not crazy. But come on! Emma Claire.  Three syllables. It’s not that hard.

And yet in the quiet of my heart this morning, I know that the only name that matters—this season or any season— is the name of Jesus.

Call me Fritz. Call me Hale. You can even call me MK Catherine. I am learning to let go.

And to simply call on the name of Jesus. Jesus. The name above all names. And to know that I know that I know that as His adopted child, His family is my family. His family name is the One I can call my own.

And now since I’ve made such a big deal about sending Christmas cards, I’m thinking I should go order some……hmmmm……I’m thinking something like Peace, Love and Forgiveness. 

Sounds much nicer and more “Christmasy” than “get the HALE over it” don’t ya think?

Myra Katherine (MK, MK Catherine, Ms. Myra,) Hale-Fritz, Coulter Hale Fritz, Emma Claire Fritz, 

2308 Teakwood Drive

Fremont, NE 68025