Books for Christmas
From Amber O'Neal Johnston, CMI Board Member
“The rooms were very still while the pages were softly turned, and the winter sunshine crept in to touch the bright heads and serious faces with a Christmas greeting.”
Do you recognize this line? It’s from Little Women, and I don’t think that I’ll ever tire of thinking of how the girls loved the books they received on Christmas morning and how the few words written by Marmee “made their one present very precious in their eyes.” It’s just the sweetest scene, and before having children, I imagined my little ones sitting around, quietly caressing book covers and swooning over pretty volumes.
Admittedly, reality hasn’t played out quite that way, as our Christmas mornings are louder and messier than the March sisters’. Still, our literary traditions are laying the foundation of a legacy of cherishing special books as a family.
I don’t have a single book remaining from my childhood, and that’s something that I grieve, but I’ve found great joy in gifting my children beautiful stories for Christmas. I relish seeing them turn the pages and admire them for the first time. As they noisily pass their books around, guessing who will enjoy each one the most, I already imagine how delighted my future grandchildren will be when I present them with books that their parents once read.
Do you have a favorite line from a book? Add it to your commonplace book and perhaps share it with a friend. Learning what captures the thoughts and attention of others when they read is a beautiful way to grow closer.
Notes
Advent: Enjoy "In Bethlehem," the second to last post in CMI's Advent for All series this year, and have fun exploring readings and activities you might have skipped in previous weeks (all posts are listed on the blog) during your Christmas break!
