Little Women: Embracing My Inner Meg (Christmas 2023)
Growing up in a house of four sisters, you can imagine that the beloved classic Little Women was a favorite of ours. I’ve watched the 1994 movie every Christmas for as long as I can remember and I’ve been elated the past few years to add the 2017 PBS series and the 2019 Greta Gerwig movie to my watchlist. I’ve read the book a couple times and I even did a Little Women devotional last year, which I loved every moment of. It’s so good to see characters or scenes that don’t get a lot of attention being explored in these other mediums.
I always saw myself as a kin to Jo. She is restless, she is creative, she is feisty. She can’t keep quiet in the face of injustice. She is an author. I absolutely loved the scene in the 2019 movie where they show her book being bound for the first time. It reminds me of the moment I got the first proof of my book. That’s when it all seemed real, having my words between two covers and physically in my hand. I hope I remember that feeling forever. I also vividly remember a scene in the 1994 movie where Jo had just refused Laurie’s marriage proposal. She is talking to Marmee in her bedroom and through tears apologizes for being the way she is. I've been there too. I’ve thought and said to my closest confidants “I don’t know why I am the way I am, but I am sorry for it.”
Here’s the thing I’ve noticed as I’ve gotten a little older though: while I definitely have parts of Jo in me, a big part of me also resonates with Meg. Meg is the oldest of the four girls and fairly early on in the story settles down with John, so she is left out of a lot of the narrative in the middle.
Here are some Meg moments that I admire and that often get overlooked:
While Mr. March was gone at war Meg likely shared a large portion of the work and responsibilities with Marmee. She was the oldest of the four sisters and was always helping with chores and giving advice, all while trying to navigate her own transformation into a proper lady. It must have taken such strength and perseverance to shoulder all that at the same time.
As a child Meg said she wanted to grow up to live in a castle surrounded by luxuries but ended up realizing that building a life with a man who sets your soul on fire is luxury all in itself. I would take admirable qualities in a life partner over aspirational qualities in material things any day.
Following Beth’s death Meg really focused on cultivating her health. In real life Meg survived all of her sisters. I can’t imagine the pain of seeing every sibling go to heaven before you, again speaking to the strength and perseverance of this woman.
Meg was always on the edge of wealth, mostly due to her high society friends. She could have easily pursued a life as fancy as theirs but she simply couldn’t ignore the darker sides of that lifestyle that she had been exposed to. Sometimes what looks like settling to others is really a matter of conviction. May we never be afraid to live lives that bring us peace, no matter the opinion of others!
I love the look into a couple’s first year of marriage that we get with Meg and John. There’s the time John brings home dinner guests unannounced, only to walk into a kitchen and wife covered in jam. Then there is the time Meg buys a roll of fabric for a new dress, only to discover the money she splurged on that was set aside for a new coat for John. In both instances things get messy but then they talk and things work out. It’s just such an honest representation of how we are balancing so many demands and thoughts on a daily basis. Sometimes the wrong ideas win, but it doesn’t mean it’s the end of the love story.
I don’t know if you consider yourself a Meg, Jo, Beth, or Amy. You are honestly probably a combination of each sister. I love what Meg says to Jo before her wedding in the 2019 movie. “Just because my dreams are different from yours doesn't mean they're unimportant.” This is the spirit of Meg. This is the spirit of someone who is kind and true. This is the spirit of someone who doesn’t get every word or every task correct. This is the spirit of someone who will give to her family and her people as long as she is able to. Meg is just as strong as Jo, as brave as Beth, and as assertive as Amy in that moment. I hope that whoever you are spending this Christmas with appreciates your traits and has qualities that rub off on you, making you each a little better with each chapter! <3
XO - Olivia
