There’s a movie clip that comes back to me very often in my life....it generally pops up when I think back on my time in college and when I left the doctoral program at UT in History and African-American Studies. Total top 5 achievements of my life to have even been admitted! But there I was, 24 and sitting in seminars as we took ourselves so seriously with our reinterpretations of history, and I had a four month old Juliet at home, becoming a human. Suddenly grad school made no sense to me…and very rapidly I couldn’t remember why I was even there or what about essays or a thesis was important at all.
Here’s the short 2-minute video clip on You Tube. You should watch it! Mainly because the blog will make a lot more sense ....and it’s really pretty.
“And remembered me, as I was, a painter losing a painting.” I had lost sight of one personal goal and moved on to another, parenting. Life moved on and eventually I wound up here at Body Tonic.
None of this has to do with beauty treatments I know. But it does have to do with Body Tonic, and the women behind it. And we are sooo fortunate to have this experience, which I'm about to share, come into our lives.
About 10 months ago, one of our reps, Chelle, was in my office and telling me about an event she was a part of: Rock the Brazos. It sponsors African Children’s Choir. I was just enraptured. She told me about the event, but more importantly about the organization behind the event. It was right up my alley! It was like a little piece of my past, my painting, with a hope to be involved in and make some small difference (specifically in African lives) and there it was in my office at a med spa all these years later.
I asked her to send me info and in turn I sent it on to Stacey. By February we were already on board, and our Thursday night on December 8th was set, we would be at Brazos Hall, with the African Children’s Choir….and Kit’s new husband, Taylor Kitsch.
The actual experience was beyond everything I could have imagined.
After being there only half an hour, a lot of the kids were mingling and dancing a little with the band that was playing, going from table to table and saying hi, giving hugs, and introducing themselves. Oh my heart!!!! They were so little! And there they were being performers! They were raising money for themselves and other children, so they could have a hopeful future. African Children’s Choir is part of Music for Life which helps fund children’s homes for vulnerable children, schools, and the organization also developed a sponsorship for secondary school, so the children can go on to higher education.
The evening was magical, with the kids mingling, dancing and singing. The first time they sang I cried. Not like huge sobs, but definite tears. At one point Kit looked over at me and asked, Are you crying?!? I said yes! She said, LOCK THAT UP!!!
There was a momentum in the room that night that felt like I wanted to save the whole world. Or at least take in about 56 kids into my apartment. It was a done deal when they sang Amazing Grace and then all lined up and said what their life dream is.
Taylor Kitsch is very involved with this organization and although I heard a lot of talk about him leading up to the event, he wasn’t on my radar. I just hadn’t seen him in anything. But I am obviously the rarity there, and many others were very much looking forward to glimpsing him that night…as Kit said, she’d be meeting her new husband that night! Well, poor Taylor was caught on a late flight from London and didn’t arrive until 10. But kudos to him, he came straight from the airport to support his cause!
I left shortly after his arrival and got into my teenage daughter’s car, telling her about the night. She said, Wait, what?! You were just at a party with Taylor Kitsch?!! I said, Well, that’s a little bit of a stretch.
Her: Was he within 10 feet of you?
Yes.
Oh my god…. (texting friends)….MOM! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this!!!!! Tears may have come to her eyes.
So whether Taylor or the kids stole the show Thursday night, I feel blessed this organization came into our lives. And personally, I hope to continue supporting them…maybe I actually didn’t lose the whole painting…maybe the picture just looks differently now.