Lunch at Marshall Fields

A long time ago, before Macy’s took over the world, we would go to Chicago around the first week in December. One of the traditions which we continued over the years was that we would go to Marshall Field’s department store in downtown Chicago, on State Street, peer in the storefront windows at the non-sectarian tableaus displayed there and then go to see the ginormous Christmas tree in the center of the store usually from the balcony on the sixth floor.  Then off we went to have lunch in the restaurant at Marshall Field’s. This was a Chicago tradition, as it was for many of the old department stores in many of the old cities.  For me it was Wannamaker’s in Philadelphia and for Aleda it was The Boston Store in Eire.  This was the day when one went to visit Santa Claus.  It was not an uncommon thing as a child to be taken to this extravaganza by your grandmother to shop for a new dress or new set of “nice” clothes for Christmas.

This particular episode took place many decades after our children were grown.  Nevertheless, it was a nice tradition in which we adults decided to partake for many years, though we unfortunately didn’t get to sit on Santa’s lap.  One of the things which Marshall Field’s had continued from the old days was to have the good fairy come around to each of the tables at lunch and to ceremoniously sprinkle fairy dust on your head while you made one wish with your eyes closed.  She was always a young, beautiful woman and dressed as Glinda, the Good Witch.  So, appropriate to the occasion on this day, the beautiful fairy came to our table and asked if anyone had a wish.  I put my hand up.  She  told me to close my eyes and she would grant my wish with a wave of her wand, accompanied by the appropriate application of fairy dust.  It all went well except that when I opened my eyes she was still dressed.