The Fourth Day of Christmas - The Music of Tchaikovsky

The inspiration for the Fourth Day of Christmas happened two days ago with the lovely snow fall here in Northeast Ohio. I was out shoveling my driveway and the darkness had settled in over Hudson. The snow was falling at a pretty good clip and there was that lovely silence that only a snowfall can bring. I looked up at the majestic evergreen trees on the property and they were covered in fresh snow. Immediately, I was transported in time to a memory of my childhood and a wonderful peace came over me.

Living in New York City, my family was fortunate to annually attend The Nutcracker performed by the New York City Ballet at The State Theater at Lincoln Center. We always went to the 5:00 pm performance on Christmas Eve which was followed by dinner at the Howard Johnson's near Columbus Circle and then home to wait for Santa Claus. The George Balanchine version of this great ballet is still, for me, the ultimate production. Late in the first act, the Nutcracker Prince has defeated the Mouse King. The scene changes to a snowy forest, where the Nutcracker turns into a prince and leads Clara on an adventure of a lifetime. The action is set to some of the most romantic music ever composed by Tchaikovsky. Here is that moment; offered to you, my reader, with a grateful heart for childhood memories, moving performances, and glorious music.

A prayer for the season of Christmas:

Precious Spirit of God, thank you for for showing us new mercies every morning. Thank you for your faithfulness. Please help us to never forget it when we say something or do something that we may regret in the next minute, the next hour, the next day. As we are shown mercy, help us to extend that same mercy to those around us. Amen.

Love One Another - Brian