Thinking of Mary, Christmas eve

Christmas eve, expectation, watercolor card

Christmas eve, when the faithful gather in worship, or families and loved ones gather for merriment and gifts perhaps, in expectation of the morrow.
I can't help but wonder how Mary felt the night before Jesus' birth...what travail did she go through with labor, with pain, with uncertainty. And with her husband close by, in a barn for shelter, the odor of livestock and hay, and lack of any midwife or medical facilities, or cleanliness. What were their thoughts--alone, fearful, far from home, anticipating their first child? 
Every parent can identify and remember those worries, fears, and expectations. The birth of our first born is vivid in my memory. You are so helpless, so dependent. Every birth is a miracle, and brings a peace that passes understanding, on earth.