When you work as a newspaper reporter, you tend to wind up on the Christmas card lists for various dignitaries and elected officials, even if they wouldn’t know you from Adam.

For the past year or two, our governor, Phil Bredesen, has featured one of his own paintings on his Christmas card. This year’s card continues that tradition, with an arresting portrait of a teenage Afghan girl whom Bredesen met outside Kabul. I’ll quote from the governor’s notes on the back of the card:

Until recently, under the Taliban, education was forbidden to her. She is now learning to read, and, on the day I visited, was studying geography. While it may seem odd to put a portrait of a young Muslim woman on a Christmas Card, this Season reminds us that He loves His children most of all. May the miracle of Christmas help bring peace and hope to this young woman and her wounded land.

A lovely sentiment, and a lovely painting. I looked for it on the governor’s web site so that I could link to it here, but he doesn’t seem to have it on the site yet.

Painting is one of those things I’ve always wanted to try. One of these days I’m going to take a class.