A Holiday Message

Theres a tradition at my daughter's high school that the music department puts on an assembly the day before Winter Break. It includes vocal ensembles, band, strings, percussion, guitar/ukulele ensemble, and dancers. It's a chance for the performers to share what they love with their peers. And it's a light hearted and laid back moment for kids who are normally lugging overloaded backpacks and cramming for AP courses.

It's just fun.

The assembly concludes with one of those old-school production numbers, "It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year." The band is onstage, fronted by dancers. More dancers go out into the audience, to the left of the stage are the choirs, to the right, a full complement of ukuleles. It's a big, showy, kitschy affair. Decidedly uncool. But wonderful, too.

The school posted a video of this. I am including a link here. Along with singing, dancing, playing, and general high school goofiness, this video contains a message. Watch and see if you can find it. I'll wait.

*****

Did you find it? Someone, I'm guessing behind the videographer, calls out to the students dancing in the aisles, "You are beautiful!"

You are beautiful. A shoutout from a teacher, as it so happens, to encourage students who might be feeling a little nervous or awkward putting it all out there in front of fellow-students.

You are beautiful. A teacher seizing the moment to say "Fear not! We're with you. You've got this." Not a statement on physical appearance. A vote of confidence.

No matter what you are doing today, here's a shout out from me to you: fear not. You've got this.

You are beautiful.

Comments

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