'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
One of the best things about Christmas is the childlike holiday spirit that runs through our bodies. For me, that little bit of magic is especially palpable in the days leading up to the big day. The sense of excitement and anticipation isn't a feeling get get to experience very often, it's usually reserved for big events and special occasions.
I still remember those last few days of school before Christmas vacation. Teachers know, and often dread, this level of joyful anticipation, especially with 32 students, confined to a classroom I think many of us burst out of those school doors on that last day, running out into schoolyard, totally obvious to how cold it was outside.
We ran, we jumped, we skipped all the way home. Our energy, fueled by seasonal sensations, and the prospect of forthcoming gifts, and all the fun we hoped to have over the holiday break. As adults, It's rare as adults to experience this level of enthusiastic jubilation, we've all been knocked down too many times to pull a full skip without a hint of trepidation.
We try though, especially around the holidays, to harken back to those December days we experienced as kids. Even if we can't fully feel those magical moments, we know, and can relate to them when we see them. Whether it's in the eyes of a child that we know, or while watching a sappy holiday movie, even if we don't fully feel it ourselves, we remember...
Those December days of skipping home were certainly evoked by this series of shots from Richard Rothstein. Bad Santa Brian leaps like no one is watching. As beautiful as Brian's body is, I found myself completely focused on his face. I loved the holiday spirit expressed and the complete joy as he jumps off the rock and leaps into the air.
No comments:
Post a Comment