The Labrador at the Manger — a Christmas Wish

My 6-year-old grandson, Calvin Moore, drew this picture for me as a Christmas gift. I could clearly identify the Baby Jesus in the Manger with the star shining overhead--but I didn’t recognize the lone animal leaning over the pen, gazing intently at him. It seemed the wrong shape and color to be an ox or a lamb. A golden donkey, perhaps? “No,” said Calvin, shaking his head with conviction. “No--It’s Tucker. She wanted to come to the Manger to see the Baby.”

I felt a lump rise in my throat. As some of you know, Tucker was the much-loved eldest of our two Yellow Labrador Retrievers. She passed away last year of old age. When I looked closely at the picture, I could see the resemblance clearly--the yellow batwing-shaped ears and the broad, flat head narrowing into a long muzzle. My initial expectation of a traditional “stable animal” was suddenly replaced by a newfound understanding: why not a Labrador at the Manger? Calvin loved Tucker, and when she died he struggled, as all children do, to understand the loss and to hope that somehow, somewhere her existence continued. For Calvin, the Manger represented, I think, the best and happiest place Tucker could be. And as I looked at the picture again, I was struck by the fact that Tucker was the only animal in the picture—as if the experience of standing at that Manger was meant just for her.

Each of us has unique experiences, convictions, faiths, and celebrations. In my celebration of this season, there is a Manger. And I’m grateful to my grandson for reminding me that all creatures are welcome there … including Labrador Retrievers. And whatever we each celebrate or hope for this season, may we all be united in seeking for a world a little more like Calvin’s…a world where everyone finds a place, and where everyone is welcomed, valued, remembered and loved.