This was inspired by Michelle Barbay’s letter (Dec. 21).

I, too, experienced similar emotions. It was a year ago and my first visit to Lisbon’s Community School. My oldest grandchild Jessica was in kindergarten. She asked me to come to her winter program. My response was, don’t you mean your Christmas program? All I heard was, “Oh, no, Grammie.”

As I entered the school, stark and bleak were the only emotions I could muster. No wreaths, bells, lights … no tree … nothing to speak to the Christmas season.

Even those people who aren’t religious surely remember the emotions evoked during the season of Christmas — sharing, caring, anticipation, joy and hope; emotions sensed by young and old alike.

Wouldn’t we be better off as a community to encourage children, and their families, from different ethnic backgrounds to bring in symbols and stories of their traditions to share? We should encourage learning and teach tolerance of all traditions.

If that doesn’t satisfy parents, they could choose whether or not to send their children to school on a specific day when a tradition is observed. After all, isn’t that one of the many reasons that makes our country so wonderful — the freedom to choose?

Children learn what they live. Are these the lessons that we want to instill in our children at such an impressionable young age?

Something to think about.

Jane Kiszonak Wile, Lisbon Falls