A dream of mine for many years before becoming pregnant was to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens out loud to my growing baby. Kyan was due to be born on January 15th and so I thought I had tons of time to do this and I was so excited as December approached in 2007. I bought this edition which also has other Christmas writings by Dickens and began reading the story around the Solstice, planning to finish by Christmas day. Dave listened in some nights as well. Well, as you may or may not have read here, the boy arrived at 7:17am Christmas morning and well...I didn't feel much like finishing the story while breathing through contractions. I love the way Dickens wrote, the way the words moved across the page and brought you concretely into another time. This story is so insightful. A man who thinks he has all the answers, who believes that he has no hope or goodness left breaks out of his self imposed darkness and is reborn. There is a reason that this story is a staple of this holiday and that it is loved by so many. Rue over at Rue and Hyssop wrote of her tradition of reading this classic.
I hope that the pregnancy for baby #2 will offer up a chance to accomplish my goal, whenever that may be. But regardless someday I hope to read it out loud each year to the family and let us all be steeped in the magic of transformation.
2 comments:
It really is the most wonderful writing. I think people get intimidated by the old English or think that because they know the story - why read it? But there is so much richness in it - I really do get lost in another world when I'm reading this story!
Perhaps the story is a birth-encourager...you may want to wait until you are almost due to read it to baby #2 - lol!
I really need to read this to my children too...
Post a Comment