Over time, tho’, she has moved more to the front of the display, and now she is placed nearest the Christ Child.  This is fitting somehow. Everyone we know is broken and doesn’t match the rest of the pieces.  That just means she needs to be there — in fact, she’s the one the whole event is for. 

Per our usual custom, our traditional Christmas picture is a Flemish painting by an unknown artist, c. 1515, “Adoration of the Christ Child,” which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.  Several years ago, psychiatrist Andrew Levitas and geneticist Cheryl Reid determined that the angel closest to Mary, and possibly the shepherd in the middle, bore the distinctive facial evidence of Down Syndrome.  They conjectured that the artist used models with Down Syndrome fully three centuries before the condition was identified by Dr. Langdon Down.  And the artist didn’t call attention to it — in fact, they’re representing beings (shepherds and angels) who are meant to be there.  Imperfect and somewhat damaged, as we all are, but also welcomed to the Nativity.  As our family has cherished members with Down Syndrome — more broken and non-matching cows all — this has particular appeal to our heart.  Everyone is invited to this party!

Celebrate the day!  Merry Christmas to you!