Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby

Two years ago, I endeavored to make some music videos themed to fit with Michael McLean's Forgotten Carols. These carols have long been a tradition in my family. Some years, we have gone to see a live concert production of the carols. Other years, we have read the book and listened to the carols following along with the story. Every year, we have put the album onto our Christmas music playlist and listened again and again to these inspiring songs. As a hobbyist video editor, I have found some wonderful Christmas and Nativity themed video footage from wonderful movie productions that I have been able to draw upon for these videos that I've created as another way for me to enjoy the carols in my Christmas traditions.

I started out with the goal of making a video for my favorite Forgotten Carol. As I realized that they all were my favorite, I ended up making videos for all of the carols except this one about a handmaid who helped Mary by holding her baby while Mary slept and was changed for the better because of the boy. It wasn't that I didn't feel this carol worthy of a music video. Although, if full honesty, I was probably a little more inspired at the time by the carol about Joseph and fathers than this one about mothers. As a father, that feeling might be understandable. At the end of the day, I probably didn't get around to making this movie because I wasn't insure what video footage to include, let alone what footage might be available. There is countless footage of video portrayals of Mary and Joseph swaddling and holding the infant dear. There is abundant footage of shepherds, wise men, and innkeepers. But it was going to be a struggle to find any footage of someone other than Mary or Joseph, let alone a woman, holding an infant Jesus. And to me, the entire carol seemed to be focused singularly on a woman rocking that sweet babe. 

Last Christmas, my inspiration for a potential Mary Let Me Hold Her Baby video completely changed. I was performing in a Christmas concert. To have better balance with the choir, I was not playing in one number, Dan Forrest's There is Faint Music. And so I had the opportunity to sit in the middle of the stage, surrounded by strings, winds and brass, and that magnificent choir that sang about a dark and frosty night where a mother rocked God's own son, her baby boy to sleep with sweet lullabies. Prior to the song, the conductor read the words of the song. And as I was encompassed by the beautiful sound, I was able to focus on the words that had just been shared. I first envisioned that mother and baby on that silent, frosty night. But that vision quickly changed to be an image of my own sweet wife, a wonderful mother of four. And I was able to recall and envision her rocking each of our infant children. Tears filled my eyes as I thought about my wife as a mother. The Forgotten Carol that had eluded me previously now had a visual anchor. I realized that the song wasn't about Mary or even this fictional handmaid. It was about all women, including those who don't have the opportunity to become mothers, and their infinite capacity to love and nurture the little ones of whom Christ said was the kingdom of God. 

I made a commitment at that concert that I would complete my Forgotten Carol videos by including this one and using abundant footage of mothers and Christlike women as the anchor for the message of this carol. And this Christmas season, I have finally followed through on that commitment. 

I am eternally grateful for my own mother who taught me and raised me to be the man I am today. I am eternally grateful for the mother of my children and her infinite love and patience. I am eternally grateful for all of the women in my life who embrace their divine gifts to nurture and serve and who exude the pure love of Christ in every word and act. You are all too often unsung heroes for all that you do. But in this tender song, which has risen in my list of favorites now that I have a clearer understanding of its message, I hope that your heroic role would reverberate loud and clear for the whole world to hear and reflect upon. Thank heavens for mothers. Thank heavens for women. 

Merry Christmas and God Bless! 

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Mary let me hold her baby, her newborn son.

Though I'd never be a mother, I felt like one. 

Mary let me hold her baby so she could rest,

And ever since that night I held Him, my life's been blessed 

Those like me who can't have children

Still can be mothers

Something in His eyes convinced me

I could serve so many others 

Mary let me hold her baby, so soft and warm.

Mary let me hold her baby and I was reborn.