Red ribbon day
My sister sent me a beautiful, artistic, tiny book for Christmas that had many different depictions of the nativity. One in particular was a photo of people in a city gathered around the baby Jesus who was in a cradle. The people each had a red ribbon that was tied to the cradle.
Apparently the story was, that back in the day, people wanted to be close and have some connection to the baby Jesus and the way that they did that, was to rock the cradle, by pulling the ribbon that was tied to it.
This story made me think about people in general currently. I wondered if some people pulled harder on the ribbon than others or if people fought over where to tie the ribbon. I wondered if some people had convinced others that the baby Jesus was not real so that they would not even be present at all. I wondered if people took turns or if they ever stopped pulling. I wondered if the rocking helped the baby sleep or if the yanking kept the baby awake.
There is a way for things to be harmonious and a way that things become chaotic or destructive. It seems that the final outcome depends on the specific way that a person goes about doing the things that they are doing on a daily basis.
As for me this day, at the moment I was sitting in a hotel breakfast room near a door that was being used by AKW electrical contractors. They were coming in and out carrying poles and boxes and other equipment and every time they opened the door beside me, a blast of thirty degree air came in. But I was not upset. There was no one else in the room. Breakfast was over and I had missed it because I had been doing my V-shred workout in the room on the floor. The men were busy and did not notice me.
I was grateful to just have some coffee, and a place to plug in my computer and write. The people walking in and out who were working seemed pleasant enough. I was also working. We were doing what we needed to be doing.
By using our talents, we were “rocking the cradle”…connecting with the good that Jesus embodied. Following his example. At least that was what I believed we were trying to do.
But even in a hotel room, years after the actual birth of Christ, I could see ribbons getting twisted metaphorically, and it was in interesting revelation to me. There are those whose hands rock the cradle, and those who make commentary about it. But does their commentary contribute to the improvement of the masses?
In the commentary mode of thinking, I had taken a shower. I loved the recessed lighting behind the bathroom mirror that helped with make up application. I loved the hook beside the tub so that I could dry and stay warm in the shower instead of dripping on the towel on the floor.
Best Western had done some things right in their simple yet clean design. But I had some negative commentary too in my thinking. Not about the hotel itself, but about how to behave when staying in a hotel.
I had a list in my mind. Those sharing a room should not leave their underwear on the bathroom counter.. they should put it in the bag in the closet provided by the hotel.
When going to eat breakfast they should not warn the others, that breakfast is free and for those who miss the free food, they are SOL. Instead, they should offer to bring back coffee to the room and encourage the stragglers to sleep in if they choose. It is vacation after all.
It seems to me that the way a person treats a room at a hotel is a mirror of the way that they treat their family. Are they all about getting as much for themselves as they can for free, and doing the least amount of cleaning possible? Is that harmony?
It is polite and decent to make the bed every day, whether a person is at home or away. It is orderly and sanitary to put used towels in a specific place and to hang items and dispose of dirty laundry out of sight and wipe water splashed off of the counter.
It is courteous to put the toilet seat up if a man is using it, but then to put the seat back down for the ladies so they do not fall in when it’s dark. And of course it is good to not blast the TV if some are trying to sleep or turn on the lights or make unnecessary noise. And it is essential to remember to use the fan in the bathroom if planning on an extended use.
Oh, and if a person believes that things are not harmonious, they should probably talk to the others about it, instead of writing commentary in an online blog, because it is unlikely that family is reading their blog posts and the offending individuals will not get the message otherwise. LOL
The picture of Jesus in the cradle is a moment in time…and the image was beautiful and harmonious. The red ribbons that we use to connect with Jesus can be beautiful if we just remember that we are capable of even more good than we think, and accept the challenge to reject anger, hostility and chaos and instead demonstrate the ability to build good and useful connections with those around us.