Dear America,

so this morning, I've been dragging my feet at getting at it; yesterday, something threw this little mama for a loop.


and even though there may be plenty of reasons for this to occur on its own, on a minute by minute basis, from the political front lines and beyond...this was personal...and hardly something I could just compartmentalize and put away, to deal with on another day.


so this morning, picture getting a phone call from the principle letting you know your baby girl has had a "seizure."       and then going on to define it...exhibiting convulsions, rolling her eyes back, and then blacking out entirely...

...what?

...I'm sorry, what?

so yesterday, that's how this girl interrupted met the middle of her day -- hightailing it to the nurse's office, not knowing how the rest of the day would unfold, and hardly concerned about the rest of my life; for in that moment, life stops.

She is okay -- otherwise, how in the world could I be tapping my life away right now, right?

so this morning, switching gears a wee bit -- in consideration of where we left off just yesterday, perhaps we should begin the conversation of the things we value, and the things we don't, beginning with our children; and in particular, take a moment to bring attention to a class of boys and girls in a class of their own.

Talk about this little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...what a beautiful story that comes to us via the Oscar's, via YouTube, via the Stanton Island Public School system...PS 22.

and just in case you live under a rock, picture this...

...picture being a kid who attends just a regular public school in Stanton Island, NY who lives life from the motto, "don't think it, FEEL it!"  then, picture a room full of shining happy faces swaying to the music, humming from the inside out, singing to their own beat, and loving every minute of it -- alongside a teacher, simply known around school as Mr. B,  who stands at the piano, waves his arms between  notes, and wears a smile so wide, even your own heart skips to the beat.

...then picture, having so much fun with it, you upload a few videos on YouTube...you know,  just for kicks and giggles -- and low and behold....as time goes by...and millions and gazillions of hits later, you wake up to meet up with a brand new day...

...then picture this day, joining with some of your very best friends, along with Mr. B, and going on the Best Field Trip ever!  With the help of United Airlines, the Academy Awards, Renaissance Hotels, sprinkled with a whole lot of pixie dust from Oprah -- and oh yeah, with Disneyland thrown in just because the kids are too cool for school  -- you win a trip to California  -- to sing at the Oscars...Somewhere Over the Rainbow, no less --  in front of millions in the televised audience -- in front of thousands of Hollywood Elite at the Kodak Theater --  and then waking up the day after only to get to sing FIREWORK on stage for a private Oprah showing...and only to have that moment interrupted -- by Katy Perry herself! --  live, and in person, now with you and now singing with you on stage!

Is that not the best thing you ever heard... ever?  Or at the very least, all things considered, the best thing over the course of the last few days?  OH MY GOODNESS  oh my goodness  oh        my       goodness.

Only in America.

And so sweet the exchange between Katy and Oprah immediately following the song:  Katy -- who flew overnight just to be there for the day, this moment, this five minutes in time -- said to Oprah, "I had to be here...because you called!"  It is good to be Oprah,  isn't it?  Now G has long loved the O; and now, Katy, is quickly working her way into my heart as we speak -- but can you just imagine the impression these two girls have left upon the hearts and minds on the chorus of PS22? 

...and just when you thought the day was done...picture now the customary gift bag; to top off already too many good things to count, every member of the chorus got to take home a Samsung Galaxy, courtesy of Sprint; and can we just take a moment to take note of how many corporate sponsors made this thing happen?  Unlike my ordinary gift to gab and get a little long winded, I choose not to expand on that idea for today... just not up to it, you know... but let me just finish the thought with a cheer, if I may:

RUN corporate america RUN!

so this morning, our children are special, aren't they?

How I truly wish this kind of  experience, for PS22, could be had for all of our children -- wouldn't that be a wonderful, wonderful world?

But this I do know, and spinning this from something Katy told the kids -- everything "starts with a spark"  the rest is "up to you", to turn it into something bigger; now, I'm willing to bet, giving a lesson resting on the laurels of self-reliance was more than likely far from Katy's immediate thought process -- but in that moment, she connected a rich tool for life all of us can take away from in equal portion.

And I feel quite certain, Mr. B, believing his heart to be in the right place, didn't set out to light a spark under his choral class expecting all these things to happen in return -- he just gave to them his very best, everyday -- he just allowed them to express themselves, fully, in every way --

and then, one morning, he simply rewarded all their efforts with an introduction...an opportunity to shine in front of the whole wide world...then they talked to friends, and then they talked to friends...and so on...and so on...

...and soon enough, PS22 became a household name, personifying, once again, another true blue American success story, reaching new heights through the likes of google, youtube and the world wide web -- pullin' a Beiber, and becoming an overnight sensation...and making it all look so easy.  How I would love it if someone followed this class all the way into adulthood...

The thing is, this morning, even though there are no guarantees what the day may bring, our children need a whole lot of good things going in in order to have a whole lot of good things come back out. This I know -- and cherish --  today, and always.

Make it a Good Day, G

so this morning,  is dedicated to PS22, to Mr. B., and to my baby girl (oh yeah, and Oprah, too)