Three Little Wise Men, and a Mum One

MY MUSES, on 2007 Christmas card: The Triumphant Trinity tallied Vincent, then 6; Luke, then dangnear 2; and Jack, nearly 4.


WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES: The Fab Four features Vincent, now 7; Luke, dangnear 3; Patrick Michael, a few pounds over 4 months; and Jack, almost 5.


Today I turn, as is my wont, to my own private trinity for words of wisdom as another big religious holiday sneaks in amid the flocked trees and stocked shelves: Christmas.
Lest my invoking a TRIO causes your head to warp into a devilish Linda Blair spin, let me exorcise your mind of thoughts that it’s slipped my mind that the former shamrock on this stem of grandkids is now a four-leaf clover.
I haven’t forgotten what child is this infant: It’s Patrick Michael, who was born Aug. 12, with cooing and lowing and all the trappings, although there was no manger and no cattle breathing steamy air to warm this swaddled bundle of joy. (After ALL, this IS Florida, for one thing.)
Since the sprout who is the youngest in the quadrangle can’t even talk yet, let alone spout theological wisdom, I can defer to a young singer, whose name just happens to have “Christ” as a root, for a Christmas song.
I bet you thought Christina Aguilera just popped onto the singing scene, full-throated and, uh, full-bodied, such as she displayed in her grinding performance in another Fab Four’s bodice-busting, lusty rendition of “Lady Marmalade” from the movie “Moulin Rouge” with Lil’ Kim, Mya and Pink “rounding” out the quartet, with Missy Elliot as narrator.
Well, since that’s too racy for a Christmas Column, check out what child is THIS from the Aguilera Archives:



Who knew then that she would become a rising star to top the tree of a presidential performance just a few years later:



Back to the Grandfather Clause Archives: I’m looking for childish words of religious wisdom, but I’m not ignoring Patrick. Although he has developed quite a paunch, his vocabulary is lacking, at 4-plus months. So I’m going with the elders in my temple: Vincent, Jack and Luke.
Vincent, at 7, has been a visionary from birth. He imagines things he wants to be, and WILLS them into existence.
I was not surprised, then, when he asked Melissa a couple of months back: “Mommy, why do adults have to SEE something before they believe it?”
I think they were talking about heaven, or God, or both, and she explained to him that those are elusive concepts for many people, but you’ve just gotta believe.
I’m amazed at Vincent’s optimism and his belief system, and I hope and pray he doesn’t lose them to cynicism the way so many of us do. Best prayer I’ve thought of so far: “Dear God, please give the lad the everlasting faith of a Cubs fan.” And just to make sure God’s listening, I might ask Harry Caray to give me a plug:



Jack’s also a believer, but he’d like to see God NOW, for a very practical reason: One day, he decided to draw a picture of God and ran into a calligrapher’s conundrum.
“Mommy,” the 4-year-old said, exhaling in exasperation. “Why can’t I SEE God? I don’t even know what he looks like. What color of shirt does he wear?”
Michelangelo, he ain’t, and he obviously never has seen the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, or he would KNOW what God looks like.
Luke’s no Michelangelo, either, but he DOES have an appreciation for God’s brush strokes. One day, he beheld a sunset (or sunrise, I can’t remember) and observed: “God painted the sky pink today.”
So there you have it, on this holy holiday: My trinity spouting theological wisdom that I can appreciate more than all the theologians you could fit on the head of a pin.

Now that I’ve weighed in with the innocents, here’s a touch of the sinful side that provoked God to send his son to redeem our evil ways. I know many people find the term “Xmas” offensive, but since I mentioned Aguilera’s lusty side earlier, this video illustrates how she can put the X in Christina, and in Xmas. (It’s here for historical purposes, to illustrate evolving musical genres, of course). WARNING: If you’re taking heart medications, you should consult your doctor before pushing the button:



Don’t blame ME for that. I would rather have showed you her “Genie in a Bottle,” in honor of the boys’ grandma, Jeanne, whom they call GiGi, but I was barred from copying it.
But in keeping with the season, let’s close with her matching the holiness of the saving moment:



With that, I quote another child from the literary world: “God Bless Us, Every One.”