A Christmas Concert

It was my friend Gayla's birthday last week, and she invited me to help her celebrate the occasion by joining her at the KC Symphony's Christmas Festival. I was more than happy to accept the invitation, and we bundled up and drove to the Kauffman Center, arriving with enough time to stop for a moment to just enjoy being in such a beautiful space.

As we leaned on the rail overlooking the colorful atrium, watching the crowd below mill about in all their Christmas finery, I was a little surprised to find myself pulled into a wayback moment. Young Janice had heard of such spaces, and even been marched through one or two on one school outing or another, but she never dreamed that the privilege of attending one of the concerts could be a normal part of her life.

"Ah, but of course, I've been to Symphony Hall", says me, today. But there was no "of course" about it in the heart of the little girl who unexpectedly popped up that cold winter's night. 

All of the magic she'd ever dreamed of was there that evening, and I was caught in her delighted awe at the moment. She reveled in my clothes, definitively NOT hand-me-downs, an outfit that blended seamlessly with what the rest of the crowd wore. She tried to memorize the view of the lights, the glimpse of the city through the expansive windows. And, she stayed with me throughout the concert, delighting in watching the mastery of the musicians, caught in the spell of the carols and other pieces. "I am HERE", she sang.

I was taken a bit aback by the experience, though in retrospect, her appearance makes sense. If there's a season of the year that takes me back to those long-ago days where I was the middle kid in the puppy pile that was our large family, Christmas is it. 

I am glad she is still with me. I am honored to be able to show her a glimpse of how far she would travel in her life; to let her see some part of those good things she had only read and heard about would be hers. 

Merry Christmas!