Thursday, December 22, 2016

Showing Up


Today was the Christmas program at Cubby's school, featuring Santa reading "The Night Before Christmas," interspersed with the children in each grade singing appropriate songs.

The auditorium at the school was literally standing-room only, despite the fact that the roads looked like this:


In the spirit of the season, we'll call this Christmas-y.

As I've said before, you can't live in a place like this and be afraid of driving in the snow. Who cares if it's a twenty-mile drive on nominally plowed roads? I have to watch a bunch of kids sing "The Reindeer Pokey" ("Put your antlers in, take your antlers out . . .") and "Up on the Rooftop"!

I felt obligated to show up if only to acknowledge the incredible dedication of the music teacher, who coached all six grades through two entire songs each with hand motions and props.

All blessings upon you, Mr. Music Teacher. You're a rare spirit among men.

Plus, I would have been sad to miss the little girl in the front row of the second-grade group who clearly has a future in the entertainment industry, if her enthusiastic finger-shaking and twirling during "Jingle Bells" is any indication.

And of course, Cubby's face when he saw me, Charlie, and Jack waving at him from the audience was the whole reason we made the snowy effort to be there.

Worth the drive, without a doubt.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

It's good that you can make these memories with the kids. Our oldest grandchild (senior in high school) loves when we attend her high school musicals. Mary in MN

Daisy said...

These moments are priceless. -from a teacher who has taught music to many

flask said...

ah, memories.

FLASHBACKS! FLASHBACKS!

good gob. and you KNOW that music teacher takes that performance as seriously as any symphonic concert ever.

i remember those days, when it was lovely, lovely music and in my fantasy world we were not in a school gym with harsh lights. it was art. it was fantastic. it was LIVE PERFORMANCE.