A fitting theme for today’s rendering might be Angels in Our Midst:
I confess I wasn’t exactly in the mood to play a Kinderkonzert yesterday afternoon, in addition to playing our Saturday evening Pops concert. Playing so much holiday music at work during this month (and then hearing much of the same music being piped across the speakers at Walgreens), is a recipe for an overdose of holiday “spirit” in my book. But my cynicism was firmly put aside when Santa, to the great excitement of the kids in attendance at the concert, made an appearance in the hall. I’m still oddly touched when I see little kids even in the highest balcony, raising their hands in hopes that Santa will ask them what they want for Christmas. And while a few kids’ responses such as, “I want a cellphone”, got a laugh and rolled eyes from the audience, there were the true charmers who piped up in tiny voices, “I want a toy”.
I was totally taken off guard, though, when one little girl asked simply, “for my Dad….he is in Iraq”; I confess my eyes welled up with tears. And, when Santa was making his departure as the orchestra got ready to play again, a little boy with his younger sister in tow, left his seat coming forward to approach Santa so he could put in his own personal gift request. This was the exchange that followed:
Santa: “Hi! And what do you want for Christmas?”
Little Boy: “My sister wants a necklace.”
Santa: “A necklace?”
Little Boy (gesturing as if pulling on a necklace at his chest): “Yes”.
Santa: “Has your sister been good?”
Little Boy: “No.”
And so it goes. Sometimes the simplest human interactions remind us most deeply of what is important in life.
Comments