Some stories must be seen as well as heard. How Spider Got a Thin Waist is one of those wonderful tales that is easily performed without any preparation.
While my parents were active pastors for Sugar Creek Church of the Brethren, Tunker, Indiana, I was a teenager bursting with energy. My favorite holiday tradition at the church was the Christmas Eve candlelight service. Each person present was represented with a lit candle. As the years progressed, the small sanctuary became filled with light as attendance increased.
When I was young, my father’s favorite cheese was County Line Colby. It came with a rind and purple stain that leaked through the rind onto the outer part of the cheese. I liked eating that part thinking that it might be magic, but my mother was afraid it might make me sick with cancer and often cut it off.
My mother’s favorite bird is the cardinal. While driving the car or sitting at the window, Mom was sure to point out any cardinal she saw. I find myself noticing them, too, even pointing them out to my dogs, as if they care!