Christmas Programs Past
It occurs to me that Christmas 2015 is the first time in decades that I have not attended a child’s Christmas program. I expect this to be the start of a brief dry spell before we start attending our grand-daughter’s programs.
I recall when Benjamin gave a short introduction to his first grade’s adaptation of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.. I was thrilled and proud of his moment in the spotlight. He was beyond cute in his snowman sweater – back in the days that he was happy to let mom dress him in cheesy and adorable outfits. Children’s programs are special; the nervousness and excitement of the youngsters is a tangible and contagious presence. They are proud to be dressed in their best holiday outfits, to have their parents see them on THEIR turf, and are all atwitter at the thought of performing in front of an adoring audience. The parents are all a-twitter too; excited to enjoy what will be the most enthusiastic and heartfelt performance of the entire holiday season!
I recall the choral concert where my vertically challenged daughter, Kelly, spent most of the concert fighting to simply to stay on the risers, without getting accidentally knocked off by her larger peers as they cluelessly lurched and swayed to the music. I think that was Kelly’s last year in choir.
Guzzy is now working as an assistant teacher in the same day care she attended as a young child – so she had a special moment of deja-vu; helping the kids onto the same stage that not-so-long ago she stood upon singing her heart out. Guzzy LOVED to sing ever since she was born. Even as a baby, she would vocalize loudly during hymns — sometimes even after the song was over. Her first ever pre-school Christmas program was a hoot! During “Momma’s Kissing Santa Claus” Guzzy and one of her chums got a couple beats ahead of everyone else, and continued to sing loudly and proudly like a runaway train with an engineer chasing it for the rest of the song. My mom and I laughed so hard, we were in tears.
Tomorrow, we are taking Ben out to celebrate his 33rd birthday, and I will spit out my teeth if he is wearing a snowman sweater.