Jonah's Special Day

Jonah does not like the spotlight. He can't stand the idea of all eyes on him. So, we have to find little ways for him to shine without mortifying the poor kid. When I found out that his class would be celebrating Christmas Around the World, I immediately emailed his teacher and told her that Jonah would have all sorts of things to share with the class. When he came down with a nasty cold last weekend, I was terrified that he would be too sick to come to school for his fun presentations. We kept him home Monday. He slept twelve hours straight, and woke up Tuesday chipper as can be with only a trace of a cough remaining. What a blessing.

Tuesday morning, Neil got up and sliced the loaf of pulla he had labored on all night last night, then emailed Jonah's teacher all sorts of fun Christmas traditions celebrated in Finland.

But this was not all, Mor Mor showed up in the afternoon sporting her Swedish costume and all ready to teach Jonah's class about Christmas in Sweden.

You can see that the discomfort of the whole class focusing on Jonah because his grandmother was up front, was almost more than he could bear. But if you were able to get a little closer, you would see a smile on that face he's trying to hide.

Mom had the class immediately at ease and entranced by her stories of long nights in Sweden where the sun only comes up for an hour and the butterflies she would experience as a little child waiting for Santa Clause to knock on the door Christmas Eve.

The highlight would be the traditional folk dancing, where the children learned had the chance to learn all of the dances that have been enjoyed in Sweden for centuries. Dances about little pigs and frogs, and about violins and flutes. Dances accompanied by accordians and lead by energetic fast-talking Swedish men. Dances enjoyed by adults and children alike. Dances that we lack in this country. Dances that require no coordination or pairing off. Dances that are all about standing in a circle, holding hands, and stomping with the beat. The children immediately let go of all inhibition and danced, and eventually got their teacher to dance, and as one dance would end, found themselves begging for another.

It was a fun day for Jonah. I wish that more of this went on in the schools. Where children learn about the customs of other countries, not from google, but from those who came from those countries. Rather than reading a paragraph in a textbook, they can picture the lit graveyards in Finland. They can imagine Santa coming to their door on Christmas Eve. For a moment, they can eat as the Finns eat and dance as the Swedes dance. I know that the school system's resources are meager now, and after all, not everyone has an amazing Mor Mor that will take a day off work, climb into her Swedish costume, and spend an afternoon whooping, hollering, and dancing in circles with thirty 4th graders.I guess we're just lucky that way.