This fairy caught my eye in a shop display.
She brought back memories of how much I loved the holidays as a child. I was captivated by the wonder and magic of it all.
In The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky, the Sugarplum Fairy is the sovereign of sweets.
What a perfectly delicious, magical thought for a child!
Imagine, for a moment, seeing once again, through the eyes of a child.
Through those eyes, see what you might have seen – the snowfall, the twinkling tree, the sweets laid out.
Hear the sounds that reach out and reel you back in time – the laughter of children, whispered secrets, singing.
Feel the excitement in your body, savour it.
Possibilities arise.
Breathe them in like crisp winter air.
And for this moment…
Remember.
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” – Laura Ingalls Wilder
Over to you:
- What memory comes to mind as a holiday favourite?
Just realized it’s one month till Christmas eve. I can start counting sleeps!
oh my goodness — those are the most fantastical lovely holiday images i can remember! Really brought me back to that place. Your work is really the highest quality Sandi…
i think my holiday fave was bringing out the electric train set every year and making the little trains fly all over the place on the little tracks that snapped together. Then, also, getting my first big kid bike was pretty cool. 🙂
– wishing you a really lovely, juicy, heart-resting Thanksgiving…
Isn’t it great how the memories are instantly there? It’s like there’s a treasure chest holding them all in our minds and the right questions unlock the chest and release them.
I grew up in India and Oct-Nov were my fave months cos of all the fun festivals like Diwali and Dusshera and the 2 weeks off from school 😀 The changing weather, not hot not cold, just a tinge of winter in the air .. the warm pakoras being fried up for tea … new clothes, card parties … childhood memories 🙂
Tia,
Memories from around the world; so vivid, I can see you there as a child. Thank you for sharing them with me.
My favourite holiday memory doesn’t even revolve around the Christmas Day of December 25th. I don’t know how the tradition ever started, but on December 6 (St. Nick’s Day), St. Nicholas would visit our house bringing bags full of nuts, candy and a gift that he would leave in the yard. On that evening we would search the yard for the bag with our name and read the special note St. Nick had written for us on the bag. It’s a precious memory and one my brother has carried on with his daughters. Additionally, he also puts up the Christmas tree on December 6.
And my favourite Christmas memories are reading Twas a Night Before Christmas (every Christmas Eve) and putting baby Jesus in the manger under our tree following midnight mass.
I’m blessed now that I have my 2 nieces in my life…and I get to view Christmas through the eyes of a child all over again.
Christmas is so wonderful. Loved this post Sandi!
Oops…meant Twas the Night Before Christmas.
I love the tradition you’ve shared, and how your brother is carrying it forward with his girls. Thanks Heidi!
I still remember the Christmas decorations me and my sister bought as children (a special treat shopping trip to Harrods in London). Mine was pale pink with a glittery inside, my sisters was pale purple – our favourite colours as kids. I think they only broke a few years ago. Fellow blogger El Edwards has started a fabulous Christmas blog you might be interested in following (you can even join the conversation by registering to post!) check out: http://heavenandel.com/Christmas/
I love Christmas decorations and have been collecting them for years! Some of my favourites though are old ones I’ve found over the years. What happy memories!
I find it inspiring that our greatest memories revolve more around experiences and less on the gifts we received. I loved how simple our St. Nick’s bags were, but it was probably more exciting hunting for those bags on cold, dark night than it was running to see the Christmas tree on Christmas morning.
May we all treasure the wonder of the season.