When I was growing up, my Aunt Martha sang in the Tabernacle Choir and almost every year she would get tickets for my family to go to the annual Christmas Concert.
We'd drive up to Salt Lake and stand in line for what felt like hours (probably less than an hour, but when you're 12, you don't really have a proper perspective on time), and then sit on the HARD benches and wait for the concert to start and wish they would shut the doors so our feet could warm up.
Finally the music would start. All of the cold would fade away and I could feel the warmth spread through out my body. Not literal warmth, not right away any way, but the warmth of the Christmas Spirit. I loved to look at the beautiful decorations, hear the music as it filled the room, watch the lights change colors on the ceiling and back wall. As the night would go on I'd lay my head on my mothers lap and loose myself in the joy of the moment.
Afterwards we'd go to Marie Calendars for pie or hot chocolate and get home WAY past my bed time.
These are some of my favorite memories from Christmas.
My Aunt retired a few years ago and it is nearly impossible now to get tickets. You have to enter a lottery and even though they pack the enormous conference center for three nights, it's still nearly impossible to win.
But my sister-in-law joined the Choir this year and was able to get us tickets.
So on Thursday, I met my husband downtown after he got off work. It was not too freezing out and a beautiful night. We weren't as early as we wanted to be and had a hard time finding a seat. We almost had to split up and sit alone, but a couple of seats opened up and we were able to sit together.
It was just as wonderful as I remembered it. There weren't as many traditional Christmas songs as I would have liked, but considering how many years the choir has done this concert, they'd probably burned through the traditional carols.
Broadway star, Brian Stokes Mitchell was one of the "special guests". He arranged quite a few of the songs and even wrote a few. My favorite was one called "New Words". It was a song he wrote for his son on his first Christmas about his first: words, moon, star and love. It was really beautiful.
My favorite part of the night was when the other "special guest", actor Edward Herrmann (the rich husband on "Overboard") , narrated a story about Logfellow, the author of "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". It was so moving. I just sat there hiding in my hair and crying like an idiot. I love that song. I love how he writes that even though there is hate and death and war on earth, "God is not dead nor doth he sleep" and that he sent his son as the ultimate gift and sign of his love.
As an adult I crave the feelings of Christmas from my youth and rarely get to feel them in the same way, but at the concert, I felt just like a kid again. The joy, and wonder and love of Christmas was so strong, and I'm so happy I got to go this year.
Thanks, Julie!
On the way home we stopped a got a Whopper Jr. from burger King. It's no Marie Calendars, but definitely the best $1 burger out there!
2 comments:
This was so special to read Kim. As a mother you look back from time to time and wonder what things you did as a family, really had an impact on your children. I am so happy to hear that tradition was so special for you. It brought back happy memories for me too. And yes, I cried like an idiot while I was read this in my office, too bad my hair is so short.
Thank you so much for sharing this story.
X)X)
P.S. A special thanks to my most beloved sister, Martha. I love you!
oh! I wish I was able to go! That is so great though. And it's finally snowing for real so I'm feeeling very Christmasy. And I laughed at your peace on Fart. :)
But the best $1 burger is the Spricy Chicked sandwhich at Carl's Juunior. Well, I guess it's not a burger. It's a chicked sandwich.
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