Everyone's a Critic

My husband and I have attended the Coffee Pops Concert Series since before he retired in 1991. In 2000, Yuletide Celebration was a part of the Pops Series and I was really looking forward, as always, to the event. Unfortunately that week, our daughter-in-law's grandfather died and his funeral was the day of the concert. We offered to keep both grandsons that day while she and our son traveled to northern Indiana to be with her family. But what to do about our Yuletide tickets! After talking it over, my husband and I agreed that Jake, at age six, was old enough to enjoy Yuletide and so he and I would attend the concert while "Pa" stayed home with the younger child. I packed a container of apple juice to go with his pastries and, together, we headed for Jake's first real trip to downtown Indianapolis. We parked at the top of our favorite parking garage and he was amazed by how the buildings looked from that vantage point. Walking to the theater, he carefully sidestepped the large steam grates in the sidewalk for fear he might fall in. The reindeer at the door of the theater were fascinating but not to be touched. The concert goers we visited with during our coffee/juice time before the concert were truly wonderful in accepting this lone child amidst a sea of adults. Jake sat on the edge of his seat most of the performance, for if he sat back in the seat it flipped up on him. He questioned the dancing Santas as he was sure there was only one Santa Claus, but seemed assured when I told him they were really Santa's helpers sent to entertain us. After watching Santa come down the chimney during "Twas the Night before Christmas," Jake asked "How did he do that?" The answer? Santa can fit through any chimney at Christmas time. A fulfilled promise of lunch at his favorite place (MacDonalds) on the way home completed our day. And I will never forget seeing the city and Yuletide Celebration through the eyes of my grandchild. Four years later, when the younger grandson had turned five, all six of us trekked downtown for lunch and a Yuletide matinee performance. Jake liked the day so much he declared it a family tradition and thus it has become. And he now understands how Santa gets down the chimney.

Name: Barbara Spencer
City: Greenwood, IN