The Inside Story of “A Christmas Prayer” by Maureen E. Kowal 

I have fond memories of my Grandpa and me.

A grandpa and granddaughter’s loving relationship, and their love of God

We lived about two hours away from my Grandpa and Nana, and I couldn’t wait to see my Grandpa when we visited at Christmas. My favourite thing that happened at my Grandpa’s house involved the blue parrot he used to have. The parrot would fly around the room and land on your head, except at meal times, when he was put in his cage.

Nana would put out cheese in a dish for dessert with our apple pie. But that parrot loved cheese, so my grandpa would take all the cheese and hide it in his pocket for the parrot. Then he would hold his fingers to his lips and tell me not to tell.

And I’d laugh and laugh as my Nana would come back to the table and say, “Goodness, I thought I put cheese out.” And Grandpa would wink at me.

I think my Nana knew, ’cause I’m sure she caught the wink.

My Nana would go back into the kitchen saying, “I’m sure there are some very hungry people out there eating all my cheese.” Then my Nana would come back out with another bowl of cut-up pieces of cheese.

My Grandpa was my favourite. He would tease me in a loving way and I would tease him back. I would sit on his knee or curl up at his feet when he was talking to me or to other people.

My favourite spot, now and as a child—the place I felt most comfortable in—was my church. I feel welcomed and comforted there. It’s where I like to talk to God.

Of course there are many places we can talk to God, but church is the place I like the most.

I especially like going to church at Christmas. I love all the parts of the Christmas Eve service. I love the coldness of the air walking to church, the people I see, and the candlelight, which reminds me of Christ’s love for us.

I wrote my poem to show the love of a granddaughter and her Grandpa at Christmas. And also the love of Jesus between them. And the setting—the setting is my favourite place—the church at Christmas.

How comforting it is when we are older that children can hold a dear spot in our lives and comfort us, cause us to smile, and touch our hearts.

In my poetry, I always hope that people will feel comforted–that they will find the light of Christ’s love.

Tips on writing a poem.

• Speak from the heart.
• It may not always rhyme
• Sometimes you need help with the flow, so it’s good to read it over to yourself and others.
• When you read it out loud, that helps you find mistakes.
• Pray for guidance.
• If you’re writng about Christmas in July, find the seasonal music on Youtube to help you feel as if you are in Christmas.
• Remember you probably won’t get it right the first time; rewriting is ok.
• Take your time.

God bless.

Maureen E. Kowal is an Early Childhood Education teacher and a poet who writes for Glad Tidings, a Presbyterian Missionary Magazine. She has also written poetry for Alive Now and Eternal Ink, an online magazine. Maureen is a children’s author whose two Grade 1 vowel books, The Candy Map and The Loud Chime, were published in 2014 by The Perfection Learning Company. She is a member of The Word Guild and CANSCAIP. Maureen lives with her family in Bolton, Ontario.