Some Things Just Can't Be Missed.
When the show must go on.
On Monday morning, my granddaughter (age 6) woke up with a low-grade fever. She and her mamma had already talked about this. Cried about it, in fact, the night before.
Monday was Christmas Concert Day at school.
When her mother suggested that she might have to stay home, my granddaughter sobbed, “BUT I CAN’T MISS MY CHRISTMAS CONCERT!”
She was so distraught, her mamma agreed to a compromise - a little children’s Tylenol, only the morning performance, and a promise that she would not resist, when mamma came to collect her as soon as it was over.
Because in the end, they agreed, the show must go on.
This year’s concert did not disappoint.
It began with an ear-splitting, painfully slow rendition of Queen’s “We will Rock You,” by the grade six band. It was so bad and so adorable it made your eyes water. There were the annual corny Christmas puns delivered by a pair of 12-year-old emcees. The self-conscious grade 5’s and 6’s with their suppressed grins, eyes rolling in mock boredom, as they filed onto the stage. (Because by grade six, it’s no longer cool to be excited about Christmas concerts, even though you are secretly still excited.)
And finally, at the very end, the moment that couldn’t be missed.
The grade primary and one class. Little girls in frilly Christmas dresses and little boys in silly Christmas t-shirts and Santa hats. And right in the middle was my beloved M. in her Hello Kitty dress, unable to stand still, touching her face in sudden shyness.
As they took their places, the children nervously scanned the darkened audience for the faces of parents and grandparents who (including me) were all jumping up and down out of their seats waving frantically. Then, expectant silence fell over the audience and they began their whole-hearted, head thrown back rendition of “Old Toy Trains” and “There is a Man Named Santa.”
As I became aware of myself grinning, touching my heart, and giggle-crying like a fool, I realized my granddaughter was right.
Some things in life just can’t be missed.
One of those things is the opportunity to express my gratitude to you, my Slow Sip subscribers.
To every one of you who has taken a few minutes over the past year to read one of these posts. To those of you who have liked, or commented, or sent emails to let me know the impact of reading my words. To those of you who have chosen to support my work with a paid subscription. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Writing is a solitary and often lonely business.
But knowing this work lands in your inbox and that some of you will open and read it. Hoping that maybe it will arrive at the just the right time to comfort, inspire, or make you laugh.
This is what keeps me writing here.
So here’s my wish for you.
May your holiday season be filled with moments that can’t be missed.
Cathy
Excellent awesome thought about writers being like Santa, being there for readers of all ages just at the right time showing us the gifts and blessings we might forget continually exist, helping all of us to be of good cheers!
This is a beautiful message about the importance of connecting and how we all play a part!