My Nutcrackers

I love the ballet The Nutcracker. When I was a young child, I remember my mom taking us to see it at Arie Crown Theater in downtown Chicago. My dear Auntie Alice (my dad's sister) worked at Arie Crown, and many Christmas seasons were spent with us driving into the city to see this wonderful production. I was probably close to the same age Katie is right now (7) and to me, it was the most magical thing we did all season long.

I remember getting all dressed up for the occasion, in our Sundays best. Nowadays, you will find people in all kinds of attire at the theater, from sequin dresses to jeans. But back then, it was most certainly a special occasion. (Contrary to what you might believe, I'm not really the sequins gown sort of girl. I still believe that the theater is meant to be a special occasion, so I will dress "up" - but, no sequins for me!)

Thinking back to those performances, I can imagine walking into the theater finding row after row of plush red velvet seating. As a young child, I felt as if I had stepped into a whole new world, and do believe that this was my first introduction to the theater (something that I became very involved in later in time.) The set design was so beautiful and festive, the dancers were so graceful as if dancing on air, and the music . . . oh, what to say? I had no idea who Tchaikovsky was at the time, but appreciated him just the same and was in complete awe of the festive mood that came over me when listening to the orchestra play. I was lost in this little land of Christmas and nutcrackers coming to life, and felt like the little Clara who receives the beloved nutcracker in the play.

It has been years over 30 years, I'm sure, since I've seen The Nutcracker on stage. But my love for it has expanded to a full blown collection of holiday nutcrackers. Started years ago by a few that PG had from his grandmother, and encouraged by the gifts of many from my sister and brother-in-law through the years, our collection has grown to 20 nutcrackers. As I decorate the house for the holidays each year, and open the bin they are stored in, I immediately smile as I place them ever so gently on display. From a ballerina to a fisherman, from a chef to a snowman, from a mouse, to Joseph, Mary and Baby Jesus, they each make me so happy when I look at them.

Yes, my nutcrackers are special to me. But they are so much more than a Christmas decoration. To me, they are a reminder of a magical time in my childhood. They remind me of the excitement of the season and of getting all dressed up for a special day in the big city. They remind me of plush red velvet chairs and an orchestra warming up. They remind me of a simpler time when I didn't have a care or worry in the world. They remind me of family members passed, and of a true wonderful time in my life.

Any part of your holiday decorations that reminds you of your younger days? Leave me a comment . . . I'd love to know.