SILENT NIGHT

A few blog entries ago, I may have given the impression our family is without meaningful Christmas traditions.

Actually, we do have two special traditions that have taken shape in recent years.

One is creating a personalized story for each of my grandchildren. It’s a labour of love and one that I think Noah, Audrey and Isla will appreciate more as years go by.

The other is attending an original Christmas play that my son Derek writes and directs at his elementary school, Saint Lawrence, in Hamilton.

This year’s musical was called Silent Night and was inspired by a true story from World War Two. The play begins on Christmas Eve in the war-torn France of 1942. A one day ceasefire has been announced and three Canadian soldiers named Gord, Frank and Murray (ring a Christmas bell?) set out for a small French town to enjoy a respite from combat.

However they soon discover that the frightened town’s people do not trust these strangers, not even at the inn. The only place that welcomes them is an orphanage managed by nuns. Soon they realize that they aren’t there to eat, drink and be merry but rather to bring the joy of Christmas to the orphans.

The twenty seven intermediate students on stage used both humour and music to celebrate the Christmas message of hope, charity and love. Actually, there were twenty eight if you count the grade two student who played the part of the Christmas tree.

It was a touching story and at times, I forgot that privates Frank and Gord were actually ten year old girls.

Thank you, Derek, for your special Christmas gift to the students and parents of your school community and to your own family.

Well done! I’m proud of you, son.

Love,

Dad