Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Now THAT'S What It's All About....

'Tis the season, as they say.  And today, I remember the true reason for the season.

It began yesterday when I was contacted by a colleague at school.  He teaches our community service program. He's an amazing gentleman and he and I often waste many a minute in the halls talking about classical music, a mutual passion for us both.  He had been approached by a principal in a neighboring school district about a family, and in particular, their young musician.

It seems that this particular young musician's family was undergoing some hardships.  His mother was a para-professional in the school district and her parents, her father suffering from Alzheimer's disease, had moved in with them recently.  She was the only wage-earner in the extended family.  And, if you know anything about how well we pay teachers in this country, you can imagine how much less a para-professional earns.  She had to take the young man, Jim, aside and tell him that there was no way that they could afford Christmas this year.  Jim smiled at his mom and said, "That's okay, mom.  All I want for Christmas is a new violin. I wrote a letter to Santa and he'll take care of it!"

You can imagine the mother's dismay.

That's where my colleague came in.  He contacted me and asked if I might be able to help.  I sent out an email to my orchestra booster group and asked if anyone could help out.  And I was dumbfounded by the amazing responses.  Not one, not two, but three different families offered Jim a violin!

I worked with one of my seniors and her dad to get the violin brought to school this morning.  I spent an hour polishing the instrument and fine-tuning it a little bit.  This particular senior had switched to cello her freshman year and was no longer using the violin - a very nice instrument.  So, after a little tweaking, I packed it up with a nice little note and some Christmas carols written by one S. Claus, and delivered it to my colleague.

I can only imagine this young man's face on Christmas morning.  He's nine years old, so he's right at that delicate age at which Santa may not be real, but he's not willing to risk not believing it just yet.  I'd like to think that my student's donation, along with the note from "Santa," will give this boy the joy and wonder enough to believe in miracles for a little while longer.  To have hope that, even when life is rough and it doesn't look like there will be enough for Christmas, someone, somewhere, cares enough to give love and hope.

I am overwhelmed with emotion in recalling this small miracle in which I played a very small part.  It gives me hope for humanity. It gives me hope for Jim's future.  And it gives me hope for my future.....

And after the year I've had, with the ups and downs, the amazing lows and the heart-pounding highs, this reminds me once again that THIS is what the season is all about: miracles are just people who love more, care more, and give more than the average person.

Surround yourself with miracles, my friends.  They're out there, if you just ask nicely enough.

May you have a blessed Christmas, Yule, Hanukkah, or just an amazing New Year.  But don't do it alone.  Be that miracle in someone's life.  I beg you, please, be that miracle.

Peace,

Jeffrey