December 22, 2006

Christmas Supplement

Nativity play of 1972 was special surprise performance for parents

By Kathleen Mitchel

Special to The Criterion

I am the second oldest of eight children—five girls and three boys, in that order, with 10 years separating the oldest from the youngest.

The Christmas of 1972 had Cindy, Lori, Jill, Jennifer, Andrew, Michael, Samuel and me rehearsing our live performance of the Nativity.

We seemed to be pretty professional. At least in our eyes, we were. We practiced and practiced until our rendition of the Bible story was perfect.

So it happened on one cold December night just days before Christmas Eve. The stage was set and the tree was adorned in white lights that filled the living room with a halo-like glow.

My brothers and sisters and I were costumed in our bath robes, and we had covered our heads with bath towels to replicate the authentic look.

There we stood around the Christmas tree—Mary, Joseph, an angel, two shepherds and the Three Wise Men, just waiting for the curtain to open.

It was now time to get Mom and Dad so they could behold the greatest production of the Nativity story ever performed in a house on a country road in Carmel, Ind.

The story was told and acted out while songs of joy filled the room. A sense of peace fell upon us all. The anticipation of the birth of Our Savior was felt that night and every Christmas since.

That play was our gift to our parents, Steve and Rosalind Mitchel. It was a secret just between us kids, and we kept it until the start of our big show.

(Kathleen Mitchel is a member of Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Parish in Indianapolis.) †

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