As we all understand.  Mary, the mother of Jesus is a Saint.

When I was a kid we knew all the Christmas Carols because we sang them at church and we sang them at school (days before political correctness).  But certain commercial carols came on the radio that we never sang but loved.  Pat loved “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”  then there was the obnoxious kid missing two front teeth, but my personal favourite was “The Little Drummer Boy”

The version by Bing Crosby and David Bowie is a classic.

But as I listen to Christmas Music while working in the shop, I have the opportunity to think of the Lyrics and I have had a revelation.

So there is pregnant Mary riding into Bethlehem on a donkey.

Now I have never ridden a donkey but I did do some bare back on a horse and I can just imagine how uncomfortable this must have been.

Then they arrive and find out that the hotel reservations have been screwed up so she has to give birth in a barn.

Now as all fathers know… their pregnant wives are not at their.. shall we say… social best at this period.

Finally the blessed event, the birth takes place.  From experience I know that once the excitement has gone down the mother just wants some rest.  But of course for Mary this could not happen.  The cattle keep lowing and guests keep showing up.  Granted some with presents but a lot of just gawkers and then there is this spotlight from the sky.

Eventually it finally quiets down, The cattle fall asleep,the Magi head off, the shepherds go back to their flocks and the angels head back to the bar “on high” .  The baby finally sleeps and Mary lies back for rest.

Then along comes a kid with a drum and proceeds to rumpa pum pum and rat a tat tat.

Mary must have been a saint to put up with this.  On the other hand we never hear about the Little drummer boy after that, so who knows?