Wednesday, November 16, 2011: As you can tell, I'm falling into the habit of doing two days at a time. I'm just such a busy bee (only because I'm only moving at half speed most of the time!) that time slips away from me during the day and it's time for bed. Sorry. But, I continue to be doubly (is this a word?) grateful for many things.
Yesterday, my gratitude involved the beautiful music of the Utah Symphony, soloists, and chorus as we prepare to perform Berlioz's "Childhood of Christ" this weekend. It's a whirlwind week of rehearsals, and yesterday, I realized (again) just how difficult this piece is. Not only has the chorus been spending extra rehearsal time on our numbers, but obviously the symphony and the soloists have been struggling a bit, too. Our director, Maestro Thierry Fischer, is wonderful and patient as he leads and guides us to the vision he sees and hears. More time was spent last night on the orchestral pieces, as they fine-tune everything to perfection. I'm sure tonight the chorus will be drilled just as extensively. It is an amazing experience to sing with such a high caliber of musicians--me, the un-trained and un-professional. I count it as one of my miracles that my neck surgeries and radiation treatments spared my vocal chords. They are not perfect, by any means, but they keep me in this circle of unbelievable music and people that have the power to lift and inspire and soothe and comfort. I'm so grateful.
Today, I am grateful for the smiles I encounter everywhere in my busy life. I spent time at a couple of stores today, and the people behind the cash registers were amazingly kind and friendly. I couldn't help but smile back! Smiles are so simple to give, I wonder why we don't hand them out to everyone we meet. I certainly need to try harder. I'm thankful that people realize how much difference a smile makes to a person who may be having a bad day or who may feel sad or who just needs a little boost. It's contagious! I wish our mouths just naturally turned up on the ends. Gotta practice this one, especially now that my muscles and nerve ends tend to droop down. Keep smiling! It's wonderful!
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