Something for the Holidays

Although I enjoy the twinkle of the Christmas lights adorning our tree, and the looks on my children’s faces on Christmas morning, my favorite part of the holiday season is the downtime. My husband and I carve out some time off from work, my children go on break from school, and we have time at home together — with little to do besides rest and enjoy each other. That is what makes this season the most wonderful time of the year for me. 

Here are some suggestions for things to read, watch, and listen to, as you enjoy the lull between this year and the next.

Something to Read

You took a big breath 
of the same air 
once breathed
by wooly mammoths.
You cried tears
that were once salty seas.
Your hair
once the carbon in a leaf.

This is from “The Stuff of Stars,” by Marion Dane Bauer (illustrated by Ekua Holmes), which was given to my family by friends after we lost someone very dear to us. When someone experiences a loss, there is often an outpouring of food (baked goods are my go-to), so I was surprised when my friends handed me a gift bag, with tissue paper just barely obscuring the book inside. But it was perfect. 

The illustrations alone are enough reason to pick up the book. It tells a story that shows how everything in the universe is interconnected, reminding us that the same stuff that is inside of flowers and antelopes is also inside of us — that we are connected to the stars. 

You can find copies of “The Stuff of Stars” at the library: swat.ink/spl-catalog and wherever books are sold. 

Something to Watch

Every holiday season, the Debbie Allen Dance Academy in Los Angeles makes magic on the stage with their performance of the “Hot Chocolate Nutcracker.” The show puts a contemporary spin on the classic “Nutcracker” ballet. The cast of nearly 200 includes dancers as young as 4 years old. They rehearse for months.

We are a family that loves dance. I started dancing when I was a little girl and danced all through college. After my daughters were born, I danced with my mother-in-law, Jeannine Osayande, and the performing arts company she founded. My daughter Naomi has danced with the Swarthmore Ballet Theatre for eight years. 

So when our family saw the trailer for “Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” on Netflix, we knew we had to see it. The documentary offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to put on such an elaborate production. 

“Dance Dreams: Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” is available on Netflix. 

Something to Listen to

I have four kids, ages 3, 7, 13, and 15. Sometimes, when I am reading to the two youngest, the other two will drift over, sit down, and listen. They don’t ask me to read to them, but they enjoy being read to, and I must admit I do too. 

That’s why I enjoy listening to the “Levar Burton Reads” podcast. In addition to the nostalgia it provides for the “Reading Rainbow” days of my youth, there is something relaxing about the tenor of Burton’s voice weaving its way through each week’s story.

Truly, any episode would be worth recommending, but the episode entitled “Chivalry” is one of my favorites. In that episode, he reads a short story by the same name, written by Neil Gaiman. It is a whimsical story. A funny fairy tale. In it, an old, widowed woman finds and purchases the Holy Grail in a second-hand shop.

You can find the “Levar Burton Reads” podcast wherever you listen to podcasts.