When we think of Christmas, we naturally think of the Poinsettia as the only Christmas flower. You may be surprised that according to legend, the Poinsettia was a late entry to being the flower of Christmas. Before the Poinsettia arrived, the morning glory and Carnation (in that order) were the flowers for Christmas.

According to legend, the Morning Glory has never been accorded its rightful place among the flowers of Christmas. The legend of the Morning Glory goes as follows: "At the birth of the Christ-child, all nature paid tribute to the Babe of Bethlehem. The Rose gave its gracious fragrance; the Poinsettia gave their magnificent colors, the Magnolia's petals made a snowy covering for the Infant King. The Starflower changed its hue from blue to purest white in His honor, but what could the lowly Morning Glory do? Its hour of bloom was so brief, for it opened in the morning and closed tightly at the onslaught of the midday heat of the sun.

The Morning Glory folded its leaves in prayer and sought an answer. The answer came.

Joyfully, the Morning Glories gathered themselves together. "Our flower can last but a few short hours," they said. "At dawn, let us serenade the Infant King with our blossoms which are shaped like bells."

As the sun arose that morning, came the musical tinkling of thousands of tiny bells... the Morning Glory serenade! What better gift to give to their Infant King ... the Christ-child than the gift of music?

When we think of Christmas, we think of all the carols that we sing (once a year). We are drawn into the wonder of Christmas by the various cantatas offered by the churches in our area. Music, it makes this holiday a very special one.

Can you imagine a Christmas without music? The story of the birth of the Christ-child is told best in the carols and music of this special birthday for our King. We owe our indebtedness to the little Morning Glory, who thought of music for their Infant King.

A dear friend of mine who has recently died wrote the above legend. I use this article as a way of paying honor to a great musician and friend. She loved Christmas and wrote many stories about this time of year. She would be proud to know that her Morning Glory Legend is being shared with you today.

I believe Christmas is a time of remembering our friends... both those who are with us and those who have gone. Let us this Christmas season remember them with a song in our hearts and a prayer for all humanity everywhere.