You may have an ‘Aunt Carol’ who was or is a cheerleader for your well-being. Several years ago, the Guthrie Theater’s director of “A Christmas Carol” wrote the following article.

–During this year’s rehearsals, I lost my beloved Aunt Carol. Her humor spirit and ferocity inspired me to be the leader I am today, encouraging my every accomplishment with a wholehearted, “You go, girl.” In my striving to make this year’s production even more magical and inclusive in its storytelling, I honor my Aunt Carol’s legacy and spirit, which always sought adventure and celebration. For me, A Christmas Carol is meant to embrace its audience wholeheartedly and live our Guthrie values to the fullest, ensuring that every single person feels welcomed, seen and invited to be authentically at home with us.

My Aunt Carol lived the lessons I believe Dickens most wants us to take away from his timeless tale – kindness and community. True kindness, as she demonstrated and Dickens espouses, is inconvenient. True kindness is when you extend a hand to someone you don’t really know or aren’t sure you really like. True kindness is when you take the time you aren’t sure you have to lend the dollar you’d rather keep. True kindness asks you to go out of your way for others and for the good of your community. Because we can only truly thrive when we all thrive. This type of transformative kindness is what Scrooge learns through the course of his long nights’ journey and what I hope we will take with us as we venture back out in these increasingly divided times. ~

The Christmas Carol asks us to open our hearts and believe – to believe that we all have the capacity to help others feel welcome, seen and invited to experience true kindness. 

May your Christmas and the New Year to come be filled with heartfelt kindness you share and kindness that is shared with you.