Born To Be Me

I had a delightful Christmas Eve listening again to the story of Susan Boyle, the 48-year-old Scottish woman who stunned the world with a voice from heaven! She did not win the “Britain’s Got Talent” program, placing second after a group called “Diversity.” However, it is safe to say she made a major mark on the entertainment world since her rendition of “I Dreamed A Dream” from “Les Miserables” went viral on the Internet. Her first album was released in November 2009 and had already sold a million copies by Christmas!

Her dream had been to be as successful as the renowned Eileen Page and, perhaps, even to sing a duet with her sometime. In the Christmas Eve program she performed beautifully with her idol to a standing ovation from the audience. But what really struck me was when Ms. Boyle sang “Who I Was Born To Be.” From her humble beginnings she rose to super stardom, and the beauty of it is that it was a dream she felt certain she could achieve. When first appearing on “Britain’s Got Talent” she knew the audience dismissed her as soon as she took the stage because of her frumpy appearance, but her attitude was that it didn’t make any difference how she looked. It was a singing contest and she knew she could sing. And sing she did! We are all richer because of her belief in herself.

The added lesson for me personally was the reminder that I also am who I was born to be! It is up to me to believe in my dream and to sing the song that is my life, regardless of the opinions of others. There will always be detractors quick to criticize what they do not understand. If I live according to the perceptions of someone else, I am not being true to myself. We are each born with our own song to sing and life to live. It is up to each of us to muster the courage to express that dream to the best of our ability.

WHO I WAS BORN TO BE

When I was a child
I could see the wind in the trees
and I heard a song in the breeze
it was there, singing out my name

But I am not a girl
I have known the taste of defeat
and I have finally grown to believe
it will all come around again

And though I may not
know the answers
I can finally say I am free
And if the questions
led me here, then
I am who I was born to be

And so here am I
Open arms and ready to stand
I've got the world in my hands
And it feels like my turn to fly

When I was a child
there were flowers that bloomed in the night
Unafraid to take in the light
Unashamed to have braved the dark

I am who I was born to be
I am who I was born to be

Christmas Bells Are Ringing!

So, today I tune my Internet radio to Christmas music while I work at my computer. It is a bit early for me, but somehow I just felt in the mood. Besides, it may help get the Christmas Spirit flowing into everything I do between now and the New Year.

Thanksgiving this year was a personal feast, as I noted in my last blog entry. I got through the meal without seriously over eating and managed to prepare portions such that only the turkey breast had to be delivered to the freezer in packages for later sandwiches or hot turkey and gravy meals. Well managed if I do say so myself!

But back to Christmas. To all who read this entry please consider this my Christmas card to you. Each year the list of “snail” mail cards gets shorter. I am not sure how many will go out this year. In some ways, the older we get the more long-time friends begin to make their move on in life. Perhaps that is why the “seasonal blues” strike so many of us. At this time of the year when gathering with family and friends is so important to many of us, it becomes clear that some of those family members and friends are no longer with us physically.

What is particularly interesting to me, however, is that since opening a Facebook account, friends from out of the past have found me, or I have found them. In some ways this is a wonderful compensation for the loss of those who have moved on. I hope that any of you who may be feeling the onset of the seasonal blues, will take heart in the realization that you are loved and supported by many folks you may have thought were no longer aware of you. Love is out there in their hearts as they remember you and the impact you had on their lives. I certainly have experienced this in the reconnection with friends with whom I shared an important period of my life many years ago. My experience has convinced me that once our paths have crossed, we are together forever in some way. Throughout this holiday season it is a good time to reconnect in our mind and heart with those who have touched our lives in some way. As you send out your love to those who come to mind, that love will multiply as it returns to bless you.

Wow! It is going to be a great month enjoying the music, special programs, and most all your friendship! Enjoy!