“Take your hands off him. He’s mine.” The newly married young lady grabs her husband’s staff and threatens the flirtatious female offender. “Can’t you see this staff? Flash those eyelashes once more at my guy and you’ll regret you did.” As the young wife brandishes the staff in the air, the other lady turns and runs away – to find a more eligible, and less attached, object for her affections.

Back in those old times, in the Middle East, Greece, Turkey and there-about, young couples didn’t always exchange rings with their marriage vows. Instead, the guy got a staff and the gal kept her eyes peeled. The staff was the sign of marital status. So, when you saw a fellow coming down the street with a staff, you knew he was attached.

Our young couple has been married for a time. He’s walking down a road in ancient Greece, staff in hand, whistling a popular tune from the forum, when an old wife pops up in front of him, stopping the young man in his tracks.

The elderly lady has her hands hidden behind her back.

“Pick a hand,” the grandmother croaks.

Taken back, the young married man does not know what is going on.

The older woman pokes her nose at him.

“Pick a hand — now,” she intones.

With the staff, he touches the lady’s left elbow.

Out pops the arm, with a white lily in the woman’s fist.

“Boy. It’s going to be a boy.” The doddering female dances a jig and spins around. Her other hand holds a rose. “If you’d picked the red rose, it’d be a girl,” she sings, “but you got the lily and now it’s a boy — sure as a ring-a-ring-sing.”

The sense of shock dissipates from the young man’s face. He realizes what he’s just learned, turns and runs for home.

You can imagine his young wife’s face when she learns the news. Or . . . did she send the older wife on the errand to surprise the new father-to-be.

Now, that’s an old wive’s tale that’s worth repeating.

It happened to Joseph. The circumstances were a bit different – more miraculous. He was walking down a street in Nazareth. No, an old wife did not jump out and confront him. He lifted his staff and saw something at the top. Something was happening, something was budding. Sure enough, a white lily bloomed right there on the street on the top of his staff.

Well, that young Joseph turned right around and ran just as fast for home and Mary to tell her the good news. He knew what that lily meant. It was a boy.

I wonder if she knew?

Next time you see a statue or picture of Joseph, take a closer look. You may see a staff. And, I’ll bet you’ll find a lily close by.

Now, you know why,

Pretty amazing,

Grandpa Jim