This week, I took the kids to see The Nutcracker. Is there anything more beautiful around the holidays? I think not. “Our” Nutcracker is performed by The Appalachian Ballet Company. They have been doing this show for 46 years now.
If only we could go through life as gracefully as ballerinas, perpetual smiles on our faces. Sigh. Big sigh. At this time of the year, I am struck by the idea of grace, graciousness, and gracefulness. Not just achieving goals, but the manner in which we achieve them. The beauty of Tchaikovsky’s music, the colorful costumes, the ethereal gliding of ballerinas remind me it’s not just about getting to the destination. It’s also about the journey. Mainly, it is the journey that counts more than anything.
Both my kids loved it. My son told me at the end, “It was wonderful, mommy! I loved it.” My daughter made several positive comments throughout the show. Well, that’s a relief. It was their first time seeing a ballet and this gives me permission to take them back to see another one.
To be technical… I took my daughter two years ago to see The Nutcracker, but she does not remember anything. Which brings up the question, why do we take two-year-olds to ballet shows? Maybe because mommy needs to see something pretty and fluffy? Yep, it was definitely for my sake that I went to see The Nutcracker two years ago. My son was sick and my daughter was only two. I really did not have to go. I could have even gotten my money back.
But we go because moms need to see art, to inspire us to keep pursuing our own artistic endeavors. Teaching, by the way, is an art. And, even though our homeschool resembles more Greco-Roman wrestling at times, and not so much a Grand Pas De Deux, the results will be beautiful. It’s a promise from the One Who called us all to homeschool our children.
That sounds wonderful! I sat down last week with my boys in front of our big screen and watched the first half hour of the Nutcracker on YouTube. I was surprised at how much they liked it, and we will continue with another portion next week. Some day we will see the real thing. 🙂