A KLONG TOEY MISS. SMARTEST IN HER SENIOR CLASS, CAPTAIN OF HER BANGKOK LEAGUE WINNING VOLLEY BALL TEAM.  BEAUTIFUL LONG BLACK HAIR COMING DOWN TO HER SHOULDERS – TALL LIKE HER DAD. BORN TO A DEVOUT BUDDHIT FAMILY ON CATHOLIC CHRISTMAS DAY. 

BUT TODAY, THIS HER 18^TH CHRISTMAS, BIRTHDAY, FIGHTING BACK HER TEARS, SELF PROMISE TO DO THIS FOR HER DYING MUM.  EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY PLUS A DAY THUS ADULT COURT WAITING FOR SENTENCING, TOTALLY INNOCENT, BUT FACING ADULT PRISON TO TAKE A DRUG RAP FOR HER OWN ‘SICK UNTIL DEATH’ MUM. FOR SURE MUM WOULD DIE IN A MATTER OF MONTHS ‘INSIDE BEHIND BARS.’ YES, IN THE PRISON HOSPITAL, BUT STILL ‘BEHIND BARS, PERHAPS CUFFED TO HER BED. 

 SO, BUDDHIST KLONG TOEY MISS BORN ON CHRISTMAS DAY, CONFESSED.  (LIED) SWORE TO ALL SHE HELD SACRED IN HER LIFE THAT THEY WERE HER DRUGS, NOT HER MUMS, NOR HER SISTERS, NOR HER DAD’S.  SO, MUM WOULD HAVE PROPER PRAYERS AND THE MONKS WOULD CHANT THE SUTRAS.

SHE KNEW THE STORY OF BABY JESUS AND BLESSED MARY AND JOSEPH THE HOLY CARPENTER GUY.  ALWAYS SAID THAT IT WAS HER STORY – HER SACRED DAY.  AND MAYBE TODAY, BEING IN COURT, TAKING HER MUM’S PLACE IN PRISON COULD BE HER MOST SACRED CHRISTMAS DAY. 

BABY JESUS AND HIS MUM HOLY MARY, AND JOSEPH THE CARPENTER GUY. AND THE BRIGHT STAR AND THE ANGELS AND THE SHEPHERDS, EXCEPT THOUGHT THEM AS MOSTLY FOLKS LIKE US:  YOU AND I.  

AND SITTING THERE IN THE COURT ROOM, SHE BEGAN TO CRY, IN SADNESS BUT ALSO IN JOY.

REMEMBERING TODAY HER BIRTHDAY AND ABOUT BABY JESUS WHEN HE WAS BORN AND HIS MUM HOLY MARY AND SHE WAS A BEAUTIFUL LADY AND HER HUSBAND JOSEPH WAS A CARPENTER GUY.  AND HE FIXED UP THE CRIB AND PUT IN NEW STRAW FOR WHEN BABY JESUS WAS BORN.  AND A NEVER SEEN BEFORE REALLY DAZZILING BRIGHT STAR AND BEAUTIFUL SOUNDING VOICES SINGING FROM THE SKY – PEOPLE WHO HEARD IT SAID ONLY ANGELS COULD SING THAT BEAUTIFUL….SO MAYBE THEY WERE ANGELS    - AND THIS REALLY BRIGHT DAZZLING LIGHT AND THE SHEPHERDS WERE AFRAID BUT WANTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON, SO THE WOMEN SENT THEIR MEN OVER TO SEE.  STRANGE ALSO, THEIR SHEEP DOGS DIDN’T BARK AT ALL, AND THEY USUALLY BARKED AT ANYTHING …   SO, THE MEN AND THE OLDER CHILDREN WALKED OVER FROM NEAR BY FIELDS AND THE LIGHT OF THE STAR SHINNING DOWN WAS REALLY DAZZLING BRIGHT, AND THEY SAW BLESSED MARY AND NEWLY BORN BABY JESUS – AND JOSEPH STANDING BY….

AND THEY SAID TO EACH OTHER:  THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY HOLY AND SACRED.  AND IT WAS A BIT CHILLY, BUT THEY TOOK OFF THEIR CAPS ANYWAY OUT OF RESPECT, AND KNELT DOWN. 

DIDN’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY AS THEY WEREN’T VERY SKILLED AT PRAYING – THEN THEY HAD TO HURRY BACK TO WATCH OVER THEIR SHEEP. BUT IT WAS SAFE, SO THE WOMEN CAME AND STAYED TO HELP BLESSED MARY.  TO DO WHAT THEY COULD.

AND THE CHRISTMAS STORY GOES ON – CONTINUES TO THE END OF THE RAINBOW AND BEYOND

OUR KLONG TOEY MISS HAD AN UNDERSTANDING WISE JUDGE WHO GIVE HER A SUSPENDED SENTENCE AND A FIRM ‘TALKING DO… OF DON’T EVER DO THIS AGAIN’.

BLESSINGS FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEARS EVERYONE

FR. JOE & OUR STAFF AND OUR KIDS