Little Women

The best memory I have (to date) happened when I was ten years old. My family had moved from our established New York life to a two hundred year-old farmhouse on a dirt road in the rurals of Maine. Neither of my parents had found jobs yet and our finances were meager.

Despite this fiscal scarcity, my mom surprised me in my fourth grade class on the snowy afternoon of January 6th - Little Christmas. She told my teacher that she had to take me out for the rest of the day for an appointment. Not having a clue what was afoot, I gathered my belongings and followed her out the car, only to find my dad behind the steering wheel. My mom said that I could play hookie from school this afternoon as we were off on a family adventure!

My mom handed me a card designed in her illustrious script. I wished I had saved this special note. It went something like this, "Happy Little Christmas, Dear Little Emily. To celebrate this special time, we will be taking you to see Little Women, then out to dinner as a treat! Here is also this little necklace that for you to wear this evening." Enclosed with the letter was a cameo pendant on a black velvet ribbon. It was to be worn as a choker. It was the prettiest thing in the world.

Movie-going was a rarity during that time of our lives and I recall this sense of awe and anticipation flowing through my body as we walked into the movie theater. The film is, in a word, spectacular. The cast, the set, the music, the entire essence of this movie beautifully captures Louisa May Alcott's words. With every viewing, I find myself filled with the promise that comes from Jo's courage to follow her dream and preserve her family. This movie has become a family tradition - we watch it year after year - always around Christmas.

Something about Little Women is so refined, so classic. So honestly good. It symbolizes the goodness of my childhood. The March family's simple, authentic happiness embodies my own family. Being home for the holidays last week, I felt this goodness more and more. I am a lucky girl.

Source: Entertainment Weekly