Ordinary Miracles & Thanks

Turns out my self-imposed deadline to get to a better perspective by Easter worked out just fine. We still have no idea what's in store for our future or where we'll be, but today that's OK. I suppose we're living the esoteric notion we've been taught since childhood - 'you never know what the future holds' - somehow the reality of living it is far different from the cross-stitched tagline. Alas - today it's OK. And the sun is out and I saw all manner of wildlife playing as I walked the seawall this morning and saw lots of daddies with their children on the beach/in the park and mamas pushing prams so my perspective is in a good place today. It's tempered, however, by real life. Seems death is a rather constant figure these days - we've gotten news of more than a few diagnoses of neighbors, friends and children and some of the diagnoses have been accompanied by rather grim prognoses. And there's been grief in our house - for people we hold dear, for folks who don't know us but whose stories compel our family to tears. Perhaps it's observing folks living fully in the wake of their mortality being defined by a disease that has snapped me from my pity party of not knowing what's next for our little family. Most certainly I've returned my focus to gratitude - that always seems to help when times are bleak.

This week, Lydia was in the Spring Concert at our school - the fact there even was a Spring Concert is a big deal. Our music teacher went on leave and we were gifted with two job-sharing music teachers about 2 weeks before spring break (mid/late March). Watching as a parent, I knew the new teachers were outstanding - Henry was learning music history and can now tell us about Mozart, Bach, Aretha Franklin and The Rolling Stones. Since our regular teacher's leave was supposed to end this month, our new teachers worked feverishly to pull off a concert. Here we are - May 5th - they've had right at 2 months to make this happen. And on that night, our primary and intermediate choirs (which were voluntary and used their lunch hour to practice) shared multiple pieces, two classes played/sang "Don't Worry, Be Happy" on ukeleles and our intermediate band played 4 pieces. Seriously. And it was good! The feat is nothing short of amazing - and it seemed to nail exactly where each and every child could find their strengths. Lydia's group (primary choir) sang "Do a Deer" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" (and no, I have no idea if I spelled that correctly). One thing's for sure - our daughter is a flat-out ham! It was delightful to see her enjoy herself so much and slightly frightening to see her embrace the spotlight with such fervor.

Our performer

It may seem this story has no point, but it's related - promise. The intermediate choir sang Sarah McLachlan's "Ordinary Miracle" and that one song tied all of these realities together. I cried - I tend to do that when music figures out how to define the emotional bumper cars in my head. Our little community in SC has been offering up prayers for an extraordinary miracle for a way-too-young fighter of leukemia named Lachlan Tannery. It's been heartwarming and heartbreaking to see his story play out (https://www.facebook.com/LachlanFightLikeaTiger - visit the Lachlan McIntosh Tannery Foundation to read his story) and to see our community unite to offer support for a family who's facing a nightmare I wouldn't wish on anyone. And what I've learned is this: Good is in the world. Cancer is a beast. And I don't believe everything happens for a reason anymore. What I do believe is this: we're all a part of this tension-filled, makes-no-sense, ordinary miracle filled world and we need each other to make it through. Because, sometimes hard luck hits and we need people who can let us cuss, let us cry, let us be mad, let us be sad, let us love out loud, and remind us that 'ordinary' miracles are the slices of heaven that keep us going - the ones we have to cling to to remind us that we can be thankful for something. Today, I'm thankful for faith and hope, songs that put words to emotions, for folks who fight with everything in them to defeat the cancer beast, for the joy that radiates from my daughter when she sings, and for teachers that come and breathe new life into programs that could have died. After all, it is resurrection season.

As Sarah McLachlan sings:

When you wake up everyday
Please don't throw your dreams away
Hold them close to your heart
'Cause we are all a part
Of the ordinary miracle