This Christmas found me eight months pregnant and closing fast on my due date. And with the break in normal activities afforded by our vacation in Illinois, I finally found time to prepare for my fourth son's impending birth. It seemed like an appropriate focus for my own inner work during the season. After all, Christmas is about the birth of a very special child. In my pondering, Mary's story became a potent allegory for my own situation. Although she was unique among women, we have much in common. The baby she carried was the Son of God, Himself a diety, with a sacred mission to perform. The baby I carry is also a son of God with divine potential, one who has also been sent to earth with a purpose. Is it sacrilege to compare my experience with that of the virgin Mary? To feel like the birth of my son will, in some lesser way, grant our family the gift of " god with us "? I am sure that, like me, Mary anticipated the good work her son would do as he