We celebrated Mark’s 16th in every way we thought would make him happy. I hope he went to sleep with a smile. I am having trouble expressing what I want to say about Mark, so this won’t be a tribute post or a narrative about the day, but simply an imprint. He is so dear.
Richard and I enjoyed a wonderful dinner with entertainment by Mark’s jazz band, followed by a professional jazz band. These kids were so happy. The caterers were from Jordan High, too, and danced right along with everyone else.
Mark played Rustles of Spring by Sinding tonight in a piano recital. It’s a piece I hope he never stops playing. Earlier in the day he played the piano accompaniment for a trumpet trio called Bugler’s Holiday at a Regional solo and ensemble event. They qualified for State. He had quite a day, and I got to attend both events. You should totally Google these pieces. They are sparkly.
I subscribe to Yo-Yo Ma’s YouTube channel. He has been consistent about posting songs of comfort through the past few years, often from very casual home settings. I am thankful that he has shared his gifts so freely. If you watch until the end, I think you will see the character of the man.
I taught a singing lesson in Primary today. There were only 18 kids there, between the ages of 3 and 10, and I taught them the song, I Know My Father Lives. The lyrics are a simple group of statements about our Heavenly Father and the Spirit:
“I know my Father Lives, and loves me too, the Spirit whispers this to me and tells me it is true, and tells me it is true.”
I brought an empty picture frame and carried it around the room, holding it in front of each child’s face, and repeating, “You are a child of God and He loves you.” The children would sit up a little straighter as I brought the frame in front of their faces. The older boys shifted a little, feeling the power of the statements and some discomfort from the attention, and wishing to diffuse some of that feeling. Younger children were the most capable of bearing those words without a wobble. As I spoke and looked into each face, it was a sacred experience. When I walked back to the front of the room, several of the kids said, what about you? Aren’t you going to say it for yourself? So, I said it for myself, “I am a child of God and He loves me.” Ah, belonging! You can’t have it without some vulnerability.
Elder Cook wrote, “When we shine, we gather.” Sometimes it takes courage to shine, to carry around that frame, look someone in the eyes, and remind them they are a child of God and He loves them so much. “To gather” can bring to mind the idea of a hug, or any gesture that reminds people that they belong.
(I am adding the themes that our youth learn as teens. I love the doctrine that we are children of heavenly parents.)
We all enjoy giving and receiving presents. But there is a difference between presents and gifts. True gifts may be part of ourselves– giving of the heart and mind– and therefore more enduring and of far greater worth than presents bought at the store.
James E. Faust
I have been touched by many gifts this Christmas. Paige made drawings of Daniel and Tim at age three to complete my little collection of drawings of our children. Daniel may not consider this as part of his already generous gift and precious letter to me, but his piano accompaniment of the piece I played in church was a beautiful gift. Tim hand wrote long letters to each of us and made sure I had a gift from him under the tree, even though he wasn’t with us this year. Mark gave me a CD of music that he doesn’t enjoy himself, and was my companion for so many errands for Christmas giving. His service and company was so important to me this year.
It isn’t always possible to do something meaningful, but I know when I give “of my heart and mind,” the Spirit of Christmas fills my soul.
Today Paige and Michael celebrate their anniversary. Their presence in our lives is a gift and blessing.
What a full weekend we have had. Tim was set apart on Sunday as a missionary and we invited his two best friends to join us. I attended several Primary programs in addition to our sacrament meeting where Tim spoke. One Primary sang I Hope they Call Me on a Mission, and I was glad I was wearing a mask/tear catcher as those children suddenly reminded me of Tim at their age. He sang a solo once in a Primary program. He doesn’t remember singing this solo, but his clear voice is a vivid memory for me, 🎵An angel came to Joseph Smith, and from the ground he took a sacred record hidden there, a precious, holy book.🎶
He will train from home for two weeks and enter the Provo MTC on December 1. His target date to fly to Guam is December 29, but like you, we have been trained to be really flexible and prepared for things to shift.
Mark just finished a very busy few weeks working on the high school musical. It was a show called Good News, which was just happy. This was Mark’s first experience playing in the pit and he loved it. I am thankful for his band teacher who didn’t ask if he wanted to be in the musical, but handed him the music and said he had been drafted. There is a chance that Mark might have said no if the teacher had just invited him, and he never would have known the fun of pit life.
This version of Clair de Lune played on my radio station today. I stopped unloading the dishwasher to look up the artist and I spent time searching online so I could enjoy it again. I bought the song, then I listened and listened some more, and never got back to the dishwasher task. I guess I needed this song more than a clean kitchen.
Thanks to Paige who found this on YouTube so I could share it.
In a prayer today, I heard myself ask that I could feel, know, and do.
…so I could apologize…
… and follow up on a prompting to talk to someone…
…and feel joy instead of a blankness about some milestones…
I think hearing this song was an answer to one part of that prayer.