My Own "Little Women"

When my closet floor becomes so cluttered with shopping bags filled with Christmas surprises that I can hardly walk around in it, one of my personal favorite Christmas Rituals needs to happen . . . and it happened last night.   

I say goodnight to my sweet family, grab my favorite movie, and lock myself in my office to wrap presents for 2 hours.  Every year I watch the same movie and I am always so surprised how it still moves me.  One of the first moments that makes me smile is right when the music starts.  I LOVE THE MUSIC of this movie.  The next is when the girls, after discovering a miraculous Christmas breakfast prepared especially for them, decide to give it away to a starving family in need.  I love how they go "a-wassailing!"  I remembered that I had some leftover wassail from my holiday handbag party Saturday morning, so I paused the movie and heated up a cup for myself.  Ahh - it was so delicious!

 The other three moments that always bring me to tears are centered around Beth.  When Beth comes down with Scarlet Fever and the physician tells her sisters there is nothing he can do, my heart sinks to see the anguish in her sisters' eyes.  Then, Marmie comes home---and the strength of that mother, who has just returned from caring for their injured father in the hospital, begins to draw the fever from her head by rubbing her feet.  Her courage and strength were enough to preserve another few years for her sweet daughter.  I also love when Beth comes down the stairs at Christmas to find a new piano, given to her by a kind friend.  When she sees the fine instrument, she bursts into tears, knowing that her music will finally sound clean and bright, the way musical tones are suppossed to sound (compared to their old, out-of-tune previous piano) and her heart is overwhelmed with gratitude for his kindness.  Finally, the speech Beth and Jo have the night before she dies always gets me. 

"Why does everyone want to leave?  I love being home, but I don't like being left behind.  Now I'm the one going away.  I can be brave like you."

I love the simplicity of their lives - no television, no computers----they take time to play, time to learn, time to listen . . .and time to LOVE.  

These are the "little women" in my life.  I have 3 sisters, just like Beth.  If I had to label each of us with the characters, it would be:

Tamara=Meg (the oldest and protective of her sisters :)

Melanie= Beth (always the one who never wanted to move away from home)

MaryKay= Jo (full of spunk and enthusiasm for life)

Suzanne= Amy (the youngest- very artistic and the little blondie)

These sisters of mine mean the world to me.  I love them with all my heart.  There isn't anything I wouldn't do for any of them.  They are the "Little Women" in my life and I wouldn't be the same without them!