silver linings

Today I had the distinct pleasure of hearing the Keystone State Boychoir sing in concert. For the fifty bazillionth time, lol. My godson Kyle has been in the choir for about 7 years, so I've seen quite a few performances over the years. And I toured with them as a chaperone for 3 weeks last summer, so I got to hear them sing every day... sometimes 2 or 3 times a day... rehearsals and performances and just-for-fun (once I was serenaded by one of the 15-year-olds at the Sydney Harbour Bridge... but that's another story for another time, lol).

Tonight's concert was just the graduates. Those are the older boys (high school) whose voices have already changed. The boys are talented, charismatic and incredibly sweet. Many of them know me through Kyle or from tour, and I always get a bunch of hugs and hellos after a concert.

Anyway... all of that has little to do with the rest of my blog. I just wanted to sing their praises once again, because I absolutely LOVE them and their singing. Well, maybe it does have something to do with the rest of my blog. Let's see if I can make it work, lol. One of the songs the boys sang tonight is a gospel tune called "I Need You to Survive." I've heard them sing it before, I think at their Christmas concert, and it moved me to tears. Not just the beautiful singing, but the lyrics.

Minor segue... but I promise I'll come back to the song in a bit. Did you ever feel like there's so much disrespect and violence and hate in the world that it's hard to see anything good in it? I get that way from time to time. Maybe it comes from teaching in a school where I see kids curse at their teachers and yell at their parents and blame everyone else for their problems. Or where parents make one excuse after another for their kids or can't be bothered to come to an Open House to see the work their kids have done. I don't know. But then something happens to remind me that there are still good people out there... there are still reasons to believe that the world isn't a total waste.

I know... I'm rambling, and I probably sound sappy and ridiculous. I'm going somewhere, I promise. So anyway, tonight when I heard that song, I had one of those moments when all is right with the world. And then after the concert when boys who haven't seen me in months came over to hug me and say how glad they are to see me and thank me for coming to their show... well, it just reminded me that not all teenagers are rude and mouthy and apathetic. I just felt like sharing that with you, in case you were having one of those days when it seems like the world is filled with assholes.

Here's a video of the song, followed by the lyrics, in case you need a boost today. (And don't avoid it because it's gospel music... there's something extremely powerful about gospel, and it's worth a listen from time to time.)

I Need You To Survive (Hezekiah Walker)

I need you, you need me;
We're all a part of God's body.
Stand with me, agree with me;
We're all a part of God's body.

It is His will that every need be supplied;
You are important to me,
I need you to survive.
You are important to me,
I need you to survive.

I pray for you, you pray for me;
I love you, I need you to survive.
I won't harm you with words from my mouth;
I love you, I need you to survive.

It is His will that every need be supplied;
You are important to me,
I need you to survive.
You are important to me,
I need you to survive.