The three wise kittens

CEBU, Philippines - And so it came to pass that the three kittens known as Blackfoot, Whitefang and Stripe were nearing the celebration of their first Christmas.

Being the curious kittens that they were, the three of them went to Brad, the world’s smartest rat, asking him to explain to them what Christmas is and what the season truly meant.

Brad, who had always been eager help the kittens understand the world better, explained to them what Christmas’ true meaning is, telling them that Christmas is the celebration of Christ’s birthday, which stands as a yearly reminder of His message of hope and love to one and all.

Though Brad’s explanation had made sense, the three kittens were still confused, with a lot of questions about Christmas, particularly its varied traditions.

“Brad, what does a fake tree with colorful lights and orbs have to do with the birth of Christ?” asked Blackfoot.

“Yeah, and if Christmas is the ‘season of giving’, then why are stores selling stuff? Shouldn’t they be giving them instead of selling?” Whitefang asked next.

“I’m confused with how Christmas comes as a reminder of Christ’s message, Brad,” said Stripe, the smartest of the three.

“I mean, if people were truly following Christ’s message of hope and love, why would they need a reminder? Does it mean that people, as the year goes on, forget about Christ, then are reminded of Him when the year nears its end because of Christmas?” Stripe asked.

In all his years, Brad never expected the three kittens to ask such questions.

Young as they were, he had expected them to be more excited about Christmas in general like all the other little kittens, and not ask specific questions about the season’s more popular traditions or catch phrases.

After all, those questions were typically asked by grown ups, by adults who have had their fair number of Christmas celebrations.

“Truth be told little kittens, I don’t have a real answer to give to your questions,” said Brad, after a moment’s pause.

“But what I can tell you is this: Christmas, just as Christ’s message, has never been about telling us what we should or should not do.”

“Christmas, just as with Christ’s message, has always been about empowering us all in making good decisions, helping us make decisions which are based on His message of hope and love.”

“Everything else, from Christmas Trees to popular Christmas Slogans and Sayings, are essentially optional Christmas traditions, traditions which won’t amount to anything if they are practiced without Christ’s message as their center.”

Twitching their whiskers, the three kittens were still confused with Brad’s reply, but they knew that there was wisdom in it.

However, they didn’t have time to truly delve into what that wisdom was, since Dog-las, the nasty old dog, happened to pass by, limping.

Looking at each other, the three kittens decided to help Dog-las walk, even though he was a nasty dog who was always nasty to them.

By helping the nasty Dog-las walk, Brad smiled, happy in knowing that the three kittens were wise enough to never forget Christ’s message of hope and love – to love one another, as one would love oneself – which is, in essence, the true meaning of Christmas. (FREEMAN)