The world is filled with beautiful and amazing things. You need to slow down to see slowdown and notice. It may be a flower growing in a trash filled vacant lot. It may be the white helmet volunteers in Syria. It may be a young girl with autism in Northern Ireland with the voice of an angel.
Girl With Autism Sings A Stunning Rendition Of ‘Hallelujah’
It’s not just good because she’s dealing with autism … It’s good because it’s good — really good.
This 10-year-old’s rendition of “Hallelujah” would have given Leonard Cohen himself chills. Turn the volume up and give it a listen.
Kaylee Rodgers, a student who has autism and ADHD, sang the solo part for the famous tune during her school choir concert at Killard House School in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, and the performance went viral.
Rodgers’ voice is stunningly beautiful ― and she exudes confidence while she sings with her classmates. Tracy Rodgers, Kaylee’s mother, told the BBC that Kaylee’s music teacher, Lloyd Scates, played a huge part in nurturing her special talent.
“She always loved singing, but it wasn’t until she started at Killard House School that she really came into her own,” she told BBC. “[Mr. Scates is] like her safety blanket ― he’s amazing.”
Killard House principal Colin Millar told ITV that Kaylee was very shy when she started at the school. She “wouldn’t really read out in class,” he said. So “to stand and perform in front of an audience is amazing … It takes a lot of effort on Kaylee’s part.”
Whether it’s a yearly holiday letter, greeting card, or email, the holidays remind us of our long-time relationships. Some people are very fortunate to remain geographically and emotionally close to their “oldest” (or longest) friends. Like many my ADULT life (I am still in denial about being an adult) has me pretty far away from the people I grew up with. In our very mobile society the odds are that you no longer live in easy traveling distance from the people you were closest to in childhood, adolescence, or even college.
An old friend never can be found, and nature has provided that he cannot easily be lost.
Samuel Johnson
There is something great about reconnecting with old friends. It helps to remind you of where you were. Even though you can’t go back in time and relive those days, it is nice to ground yourself once in a while. Good for the soul.
Wishing you can go back will be pretty hollow, but looking at that notch in time is a good way to evaluate your place in time- in the “now”. There will always be certain memories you wish to forget. Awkward times, painful experiences and there are also things you wish you could put in a highlight reel, those things you were proud of – the accomplishments of goals and desires you have had over the years.
Then there are those very special memories with those genuine friends and family that if you could “bottle” the feelings of comfort and joy, you would open that bottle frequently and drink that in.
I look forward to seeing cards and letters from old friends or even their Facebook posts this time of year. It helps me drink in those memories of the time we have spent together. Last night I was out at the Breckenridge Distillery for drinks and dinner with my family and saw a photo on the wall that I had to send to my friend Jeff. Yes, we played D&D.
Many people who knew YOU also want to know how you are doing. Send them an e-mail! A lot of people feel it’s awkward and a little nerve racking to try to get back in touch with a friend they haven’t spoken to in a while. What often happens is someone will want to drop an old buddy a line, but then they’ll think, “It will be so weird sending them an email out of nowhere. How will they react to it? Will they wonder why I’m writing them now?”
This time of year there is nothing abnormal or weird about reaching out to an old friend. You just have to put your self out there and go!
My personal story, I grew up in upstate New York. Spent most of my life in Rome, NY then High School in Cortland. Although I was only in Cortland 4 years. They were important years. Difficult as it was trying to “fit in” with others who had been together since preschool. I did manage to make some connections and feel very lucky that I am still in touch with some of them.
My first 2 years of college had me at a 2 year school in Utica. There I made a few connections and I wish I had stayed in touch with some of these people. As odd as it is the person I am closest to from that time is also the person who lives furthest away in Iceland.
empty seat is for JILL who organized this get together but then couldn’t make it
Finishing up my college career at UNH I find myself still living in the area and therefore occasionally running into people I went to school and grad school with.
This summer I was able to get together with a few friends from UNH. A truly great day! JILL- we missed you.
Through out all of this there was my “Gymnastics Family”. Guys I did gymnastics with. Girls I coached, and those I coached with. Recently we lost a member of my gymnastics family. Dave- we miss you every day. Last year I spent 7 months coaching in Switzerland. I made some great friends there and I miss every one of them! NICU and ROXANA treated me like a member of their family. I do not think I could have made it through withy out them! I Miss everyone of the girls I coached there. Working with them brought me such joy. I hope I am able to see them again- SOON! (Come visit!)
I could make a list of the people who I have lost contact with that I wish I could see or hear from more often. But it would be better to say-
I miss you all. If I have lost touch, please send me an e-mail!
As the days get shorter and we are facing long dark and cold nights. The solstice is just weeks away and the days will become longer. This time of year even the smallest gesture can change the world.
In chaos theory, the butterfly effect is the sensitive dependence on initial conditions in which a small change in one state of a deterministic nonlinear system can result in large differences in a later state. The name, coined by Edward Lorenz for the effect which had been known long before, is derived from the metaphorical example of the details of a hurricane (exact time of formation, exact path taken) being influenced by minor perturbations such as the flapping of the wings of a distant butterfly several weeks earlier.
The idea, that small causes may have large effects in general and in weather specifically, was used from Henri Poincaré to Norbert Wiener.
In The Vocation of Man (1800), Fichte says that “you could not remove a single grain of sand from its place without thereby … changing something throughout all parts of the immeasurable whole”.
Yes, one small act you do today can change the world tomorrow. In the 2000 movie Pay It Forward A young boy attempts to make the world a better place after his teacher gives him that chance. It makes me upset that because of Kevin Spacey being basically a terrible human being that this movie will not be shown again. Who knows, maybe the powers that be will reshoot it with a different cast. The assignment: think of something to change the world and put it into action. Trevor conjures the notion of paying a favor not back, but forward–repaying good deeds not with payback, but with new good deeds done to three new people.
The other day I was speaking to a UPS driver at a coffee shop. It was a VERY snowy/icy day in New Hampshire. I just asked how he was doing. He said going was slow but not too bad. He then related a story of how at one of his stops he trudged upon the sidewalk to see a basket of snacks for him and other people making deliveries. That small gesture changed his day.
YOU CAN CHANGE SOMEONES DAY! Today, Tomorrow, whenever, Slow down! Hold a door open for someone. Buy someone a coffee. Heck, buy EVERYONE a coffee!
There are so many opportunities to make the world better. Do it.
I published this series a few years back and I want to edit and repost it. I am not proud to say that this time of year I struggle with a little bit of depression. I have a GREAT life and an amazing family so it just makes me angry when I feel this way. Writing is a way for me to work through it. I miss friends and family from my youth. I miss my kids when they were little and excited by Christmas. At this writing we are are together in Colorado where my daughter lives. We plan on doing some skiing and just hanging out as a family.
In April, on my other blog Vacilando, I posted 30 days of peace. It was at a time when I think we, as a country, needed to focus on peace.
Now, 7 months later, let’s focus on HOPE. From now until the New Year I will (hopefully) be giving you a reason to be hopeful and to share that hope. Because with out HOPE, what’s the point?
As a 53 year old, I have faith in our next generation. I was texting with my son last night and told him that I have more faith in his generation than my own. They are largely engaged, environmentally conscious and see that they can change the world. They still have HOPE in their eyes and their hope gives me hope.
This holiday season these young consumers want to give—and to give back. Speaking to my children I’ve learned they plan to spend more than they did last year on gifts for family and friends. My son said he and his girlfriend plan on giving to a charity and volunteering as their gift to each other. I found statistics for their generation and learned that a substantial majority plans to donate to a favorite cause or to spend time volunteering. Retailers will get in the spirit, too: nearly 75 percent say they will make charitable contributions to celebrate the season. And the good cheer doesn’t end there. Giving back inspires more giving back. Consumers prefer to buy from retailers who translate their values into action, whether it’s in the form of cash donations, commitments to sustainable practices, or community involvement, and many shoppers say they will actually spend more with these brands. It’s clear that giving back is good for business.
This is exciting news and a happy blurring of the lines between what we care about and how and what we buy and sell. Companies can engage consumers with their brands and products by demonstrating a clear sense of social purpose. Consumers have the opportunity to choose companies or products that support the causes they champion. At a time when consumers are increasingly demanding not only great products but companies with values that match their own, the holiday season is an ideal time to bring humanity to buying and selling.
While shoppers of all ages say they will open their hearts and their wallets this year for causes that matter to them, we can expect to see some generational differences. It’s the most digital time of the year, more millennial parents than consumers overall plan to make donations to their favorite charities. And millennials (young, college-educated, upwardly mobile), will increase the size of their charitable donations this year by a larger amount than shoppers in other age groups. But younger consumers won’t be far behind when it comes to spending to support causes they believe in. Gen Z shoppers (ages 16-20) are both brand loyal and loyal to brands that show social impact through their actions.
Younger millennials and members of Gen Z, perhaps because they have grown up in the era of B (benefit) Corporations, for example, when they buy a pair of shoes a pair goes to a child in need, and they expect business to be a force for good.
Make a difference this year by shopping local, shopping with a conscience, giving back to the community. Can’t think of what to get that weird cousin on your dad’s side? Make a donation in their name. Buy them a membership to a historical theater or museum.
I had a different plan for what I was going to write this morning. Then I started thinking about my friends and family who are no longer with us. The pain will always be there. Is it odd to find comfort in the pain? It is how I remember them.
I went to see my niece in a play the other day. It breaks my heart to see her and her brother because they look SO much like their dad who passed away.
My friend Jeff who just lost his mother asked, “How do you continue on when the person who built your heart is gone?”
There are no simple answers. Life is comedy and tragedy. The minute you are born you spend the rest of your time on earth either living or dying. I believe in the Butterfly Effect. Your parents gave you more than life. They taught you lessons. Your job was to continue and teach those around you. As a parent there are three things that I wanted to teach my children. The “3 R’s”
Respect
Reliability
Resilience.
We want our children to respect others and to be respected.
We want our children to be reliable. To be that person that others turn to and can count on.
We want our children to be resilient. To bounce back. I want my children to be a super ball. As children we remember the awe, how can this little ball store so much energy to bounce so high?
That is what I want from my children and, my friends, that is what your parents would want from you. Today, tomorrow, this month. BOUNCE. Bounce so high you touch the stars. Bounce so high others look at you in awe and wonder, “how can someone store so much energy they can go so high?”
That is the most important lesson. That lesson, I hope, will give you hope and hope to those around you.
I love you both and hope that you can bounce.
What is dying? I am standing on the seashore. A ship sails to the morning breeze and starts for the ocean. She is an object and I stand watching her Till at last she fades from the horizon, And someone at my side says, “She is gone!” Gone where? Gone from my sight, that is all; She is just as large in the masts, hull and spars as she was when I saw her, And just as able to bear her load of living freight to its destination. The diminished size and total loss of sight is in me, not in her; And just at the moment when someone at my side says, “She is gone”, There are others who are watching her coming, And other voices take up a glad shout, “There she comes” – and that is dying.
You have to WANT it. You have to want it every day. You just need to set your mind to it.
What’s holding you back?
A good life is a busy life but take a second and make a difference. It doesn’t have to be a HUGE thing. Just SLOW DOWN, take a second and make someone smile.
The first thing I want to get out there is YES, I say, “Happy Holidays!” in public. I do not want to risk offending anyone PLUS between now and New Years there are probably 15 recognized holidays throughout the western world. By the way, it is totally OK to wish me Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays or what ever.
The biggest thing I am looking forward to is the end of the election. Truthfully, I hardly care anymore. Just get it over. This has gone on for too long and cost too much. (but that’s another story).
Growing up in upstate New York I had a pretty big family. From Halloween to New Years there were always people stopping by with wine, cheese, fruit baskets, or baked goods. When I was home from college not only were relatives stopping by but also friends from high school. I also, when out, would stop by friends and relatives house bringing small gifts.
The holidays are meant to spend with friends and family. It still brings a smile to my face remembering a full house on any given night.
As an adult with a family of my own and we don’t have a lot of family near by. We make up for this with having some great friends. I can’t wait for the kids to get home college. I can’t wait for friends to stop by. I am looking forward to friends of my kids stopping by.
If you are driving by and the lights are on please stop for a glass of wine and some cookies.
Just wanted to put that out there.
Bonus if you know what this is! A bottle of wine if you bring me some
Tony Retrosi 