Music Is Our Saving Grace
I don't know where I would be in life today without the gift of music. There are some people who admit they don't have a musical bone in their body, and to me, this statement makes me sad. Without music, how do we survive life? The Beatles, my favorite musical group, are the reason I love music. They are still inspiring people to this day with their popular songs, simply because it is great music. Cole loves The Beatles! Last night, as we were taking our nightly walk in our neighborhood, he started singing, "All You Need Is Love". The irony about this song is I titled one of my earlier blog posts, "All You Need Is Love". My son amazes me each and every day. I manage a girl's band, "The Bebop Girls", so when one of the girls asked me if they could do a duet together consisting of Beatles songs, I jumped at the chance to say YES! Music is my saving grace when I get down. "When words fail, music speaks". I decided to use this as my motto and quote for this specific blog, simply because music speaks to my heart and soul. My son sings like an angel. I will not deny he has pure talent. My husband and I have decided to let Cole pursue his dream to become a professional singer, which is not something we take lightly. Growing up singing on a daily basis is something I did and it made me very happy. However, after that first failed audition (or so I thought I had failed it since I didn't land the coveted role of "Annie"), I thought I was a failure. I want to make sure Cole enjoys music, even if he thinks he fails at something he is truly gifted at doing.
I am not your typical stage mom. I will admit I was a pageant veteran in the Miss Teen Texas and Miss Texas pageants, but these experiences taught me what I wanted to do with my life personally and professionally. I don't think many of my friends know that I always wanted to be Miss America. The pageant is quite different now, but back in the 1980's--1990's, I was glued to my television once a year in July to see what each contestant was going to sing. I knew in 1990 I was going to be the next Shannon Shepard. I idolized Shannon the minute she opened her mouth to sing. She had a God-given gift. If I could just borrow her CD, I thought I could be the next Miss Texas. Her song was a medley of "Amazing Grace and How Great Thou Art". Shannon never won Miss Texas, but was always an inspiration to me. She won every talent portion of Miss Texas, but was always that runner-up-- just like me. I was an opera singer and I never thought an opera singer would win Miss Texas during my time, but Reagan Hughes was the first one to break that barrier. My life as an opera singer was so fulfilling, simply because I loved to sing! Winning the title of Miss Texas, I thought, would give me everything I dreamed of: a career as a professional opera singer, a platform I believed in (Alzheimer's Awareness), and the notoriety that came along with the title of Miss Texas. I have learned a lot from the Miss Texas pageant system and I am grateful I didn't win Miss Texas. I was meant to do other things with my life. I thought I had dealt with some major blows growing up as an entertainer and singer, but I realized early on, life was more about living. Miss Texas helped me with my interview skills and also helped me with poise and confidence. Without Miss Texas, I don't think I would have had the confidence and courage I have today. Miss Texas was only a dream that I could pursue when I was in high school and the first three years of college. I didn't seek out help with my talent, simply because I knew what I was going to sing. I decided early on "Summertime" was my go-to song. The first time I sang "Summertime" from Porgy and Bess, I won the talent portion of my local pageant. I sucked at my interview, so this is why I was 3rd runner up. That being said, my local pageant set me up to realize what I needed to do to win the next pageant I entered (or so I thought). The main reason I am going on about my pageant experiences is because it taught me about myself. I never won a local pageant. I never bought into the idea that I had to buy "services"-- dresses, bathing suits, interview coaching, swimsuit and fitness private trainer to become the next Miss Texas. I love Miss Texas, but I loved myself too much to put myself or my parents through this. My only regret is that I didn't buy into the idea of having an interview coach, simply because it would have been very helpful to me in my later years. My son has autism. Autism is not a curse. Autism is something that just happens to certain people. I believe if Autism had been somebody's platform in 1980's-1990's, I may have listened more to my gut. Miss Texas 2010, Ashley Melnick, has a brother with autism. Her platform was raising awareness about Autism. She was an awesome Miss Texas and should have been Miss America!
Do you know that one out of forty-eight boys now are diagnosed with some type of autism? People seem to be alarmed by this statistic. I am not worried about it, simply because autism has always been there. Doctors, therapists, researchers, and specialists now know what autism looks like. There are some commonalities when looking at a kid who has autism. We went to the most awesome park this past weekend, Hope Park, in Frisco, TX, and it is a park designed specifically for kids who have learning and physically disabilities. The concept is brilliant: include everyone who has a disability and give them a park to play at with their friends who can enjoy Friendship Park. A mom (who else would have thought up this brilliant idea?) saw her child struggling (she has Down Syndrome) when they would go to the park because her siblings were playing at the playground. Her daughter would struggle to play with her siblings at the normal playground, so her mom came up with this idea and called it Hope Park. The story is beautiful, so if you want to read about it, I am including the link to her story! You can find her amazing story here: http://hopeparkfrisco.org/the-history-of-hope-park/. I wish Richardson would consider something this amazing, simply because I have never seen my son more happy on a Saturday afternoon! He LOVED the park and wanted to stay outside for hours. This joy that was brought to us is simply a miracle.
Okay, so I veered off a little today from our title: Music is our saving grace. I don't know what I would do without music. Cole is my songbird and can think of songs in his head, sing them out loud, or create his own music on his iPad. My son is BRILLIANT! I have been so blessed by one teacher friend individually-- her name is Becca Bryan. She has been a constant friend to me, to Cole, and to my husband. She inspires me to no end. She is a wonderful music teacher, inspiration to so many kids and adults, and is a fabulous wife and incredible mom. She is my superhero, simply because she gets it. I have been fortunate enough to visit her classroom twice this past week! Mrs. Bryan let me present the 6th grade talent show to both her 6th grade classes and I can't thank her enough. I didn't realize how much I missed teaching in a classroom setting, but because of Becca, I love teaching again. She inspires me to be a great mom, singer, and wife. She loves music, has the most infectious spirit, warm smile, and I love her simply because she loves Cole. She loves life and you can tell she has a genuine love of music. I also love Mrs. Klein. She was the one that first heard Cole sing, "Walk Like a Man" in class. These two women know what Cole likes and they inspire him to be his best every day. I feel these two women should share teacher of the year, simply because they nurture my son and inspire him to pursue what he loves to do-- sing! They are both wonderful teachers and I am blessed to call them both my friends.
I have been asked to turn my blog into a book. I don't think I am ready to do this, as I have so much more to write. When I think I am ready to write a book, you will be the first to know! I really don't know why I started this blog about living with autism, but I am just guessing it is because I had a few key people in my life that inspired me to do so. One of those very special people is Robert Giesler. Robert and his wife, Dottie, have always inspired me to do great things with my life. Robert was my high school principal and without him, I wouldn't be where I am today in life. Robert gave me my wings to fly, but most of all, he encouraged me to write this blog. Because of Robert, I am actually considering writing a book. Thank you, Robert and Dottie, for all of your support you have given me, Cole, and my family since coming into our lives in 1987. You both have helped me become the mom, teacher, and wife I have always wanted to be. I thought becoming a music teacher in Dallas I.S.D. was my calling, but obviously it wasn't. I love you both for always encouraging me to listen to my heart, thinking with a clear head, and choosing the right path in life. Sometimes life is hard; I get that. I have now realized hard is what gets me to where I want to be in life: happy, healthy, and a spiritual human being!
I will end this blog today with one big message: VOTE! Rachel Chumney and Bonnie Abadie need our votes! Early voting is today through May 6th. The actual date of the election is May 10th, if you don't vote early. If you don't vote, your voice won't be heard, so don't complain if your candidate doesn't win, simply because you didn't vote. I am voting for Rachel and Bonnie, simply because I think they are the right people to represent my voice and Cole's voice. Peace out!
No comments:
Post a Comment