Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Good Tears


Last week was my grandson Jackson's Holiday Concert at school. They combined the 4th and 5th grade band with the chorus and orchestra. Jackson plays the trombone and it's adorable. Not just Jackson, the whole thing is adorable. You didn't need to know anyone in the concert to enjoy it.  

Jackson did a "Tebow" at the beginning and end of his set and I laughed so hard I cried. If you're not a fan of football you may not know that the word "Tebow" (the Denver Bronco's quarterback) is now a verb. It means giving thanks to the Lord above by bending down on one knee, blessing yourself, and pointing toward the sky. "Tebowing" has become the new "Planking."  I'm not a fan of tebowing when its played out on the football field, but here in auditorium of Jacksons school, it was a moment I will not soon forget. 

My eyes teared up again when the chorus sang a song in hebrew, a song I had never heard before and had no idea what it was about. It was simple and strong, and beautiful. When it was over, their teacher turned to the crowd and said, "I am so lucky, my job gives me goosebumps."  It was a genuine and unrehearsed response and I thought how lucky these kids are to have such a fabulous teacher! 

A girl in the back row of the chorus sang with such reverence and joy that you could tell this was her gift. She sang with her eyes closed, she sang with no ego.  It didn't matter that she was hidden in the back, to the far left.  It didn't matter that she was one of 25 in the chorus.  She didn't need a solo. She was happy to sing and her love of song filled the room.  How do you not cry when you witness something this pure.   

Paralyzed with fright, a little boy in an argyle sweater, stood front and center on the stage and focused on his feet. Every time he looked up, he'd start to gag and you could hear the front row moan, "oh no, oh no!" When it was over, his knee's buckled as he walked off the stage. I cried when his family greeted him. "You did it!" they cheered. 

Watching the relatives made me cry. Seeing them, with their big goofy grins, sitting perfectly erect, stretching to get a good view. Camera's pointed, waiting patiently for their little one to look their way.

You could feel the love and pride. It was all around me. I bathed in it and I remembered, like it was yesterday, when my son, Kerry was young.

Kerry went to the same school as Jackson.  He even had some of the same teachers. It was a magical glimpse of time past mixed with the magnificence of the present. 


 Jackson and Kerry

Sometimes I hide my tears behind my program, and other times I let them slide. Last week, at Jackson's concert, the drops of my tears were in perfect sync with the beat of Jacksons foot, as he bobbed his head and blew on his trombone.




20 comments:

  1. This was so sweet! Jackson seems to have quite the talent for that trombone.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I secretly miss the school concerts now the girls don't have them any more :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Oh my gosh. He looks so much like his dad.

    Aahh, the joy of a elementary school concert. Where's my earplugs. :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. So, so sad and yet so sweet. Hugs to you. I know the mixture of joy and pain that you are feeling. Your Jackson is a treasure.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awwww. Sniff. That was lovely to hear about. Best concert all year!

    ReplyDelete
  6. So sweet. I hope Jackson continues to love music, and making music.

    ReplyDelete
  7. *Sniff*

    Funny how the squeaks and squacks and the off key notes that drive us crazy at home, sound like the purest sounds of angels when it's done with love.

    As always, LOVED this.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is absolutely beautiful. The picture of the two is so awesome. It is so beautiful how much they look alike!

    ReplyDelete
  9. I must admit Shannon, I don't always read your blogs, but today something drew me to it. As I read it I could picture Kerry singing in my parents livingroom for my dad. I can picture my dad's eyes right now as he listened intently to Kerry. He talked about it for a long time after that day. Today is my dad's anniversary and I want to thank you for reminding me about happy tears! <3 Rose

    ReplyDelete
  10. aw monkey....I always teared up at those things too, I thought I was the only one!! Thank you for sharing this sweet story...


    MG

    ReplyDelete
  11. Rose....(chills) exactly, EXACTLY what I was thinking about, Kerry singing "the sun will come out tomorrow" to your Dad. I wasn't even there but I remember hearing about it and knowing how Kerry sang it. Yep, happy tears! xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  12. My tears are almost unstoppable. You write so beautifully and I was with you listening to the concert and watching even before I turned on the video. The father daughter in the video is so sweet.

    Jackson is beautiful like his Dad. You must be a proud Grandma.

    ReplyDelete
  13. O come let us ADORE him. And his trombone, too! Shannon, I love seeing how this story got fleshed out, and I love knowing that I played a small role. All about the tears, baby. And the Christmas joy. Something about this time of year, and I'm not talking about malls and traffic...

    Happy Holidays, my fellow writing soul in the blogosphere!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Beautiful. Many tears of joy for you.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ahhh you are all so wonderful! ((((((Thank you, Thank you))))))

    Jackson read the post this morning and all your comments. You really made him smile :)

    what a wonderful gift you all just gave me!

    ReplyDelete
  16. That sure made me smile and remember how much we have to be grateful for! Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  17. The argyle sweater boy reminded me of my open mike experience.

    ReplyDelete
  18. This was a heartwarming post. Glad I stopped by.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for encouraging my JOY of writing. By reading and commenting you are feeding my soul, stroking my heart, and in the end...making me a better writer.

Thank You For Encouraging My Joy of Writing

Thank You For Encouraging My Joy of Writing
greenmonkeytales@live.com

Shannon E. Kennedy

***

Photo by Joan Harrison