Look! A New Day

Greetings fellow earthlings! It has been ages … or has it only been seconds? Time is so nebulous these days, it’s hard to tell where one day begins and the next ends. But, here we are! A new year [plus a few days], a new month and a new chapter.

As I recall, since I was here last, we’ve passed some milestones. There were holidays, birthdays, sad days, better days, up days, down days, and just plain days … until FINALLY we cast off 2020 FOREVER!

Not gonna lie. That felt great!

I hope you had memorable holidays. Or, at least bearable. It may not have been the “merriest”, but if you’re reading this, then you made it. Jeff and I were blessed to celebrate Christmas with our daughters and grandbaby, since we have built our little “Pandemic Pod”. Being fortunate to celebrate Christmas all together was a tender mercy during an especially difficult journey with extra family challenges this year. Seeing the world through the eyes of a child always makes everything better. I am truly heartbroken many of you are separated from your dear ones.

Look! We made it through the dreary, dark days of January. And now here we are – time to breathe some fresh air and feel a step closer to change. I’m in a positive state of mind at the moment [the mood ebbs and flows]. I can feel a new sense of hope and power rising up from each other’s souls. We are finding our way through all of the barriers and cracks. We are strong, and resilient. We’ve come so far! And that means we can go a little ways more. So many are working so hard to save lives – and good things are happening! The vaccines are being distributed! One by one by one, we can see some light at the far end of this never ending tunnel. Look at how strong we are! Look at how brave and resilient we’ve been! Look at how far we’ve come! Looking back gives me strength and determination to keep moving forward with faith. We can grow in concrete!

THE ROSE THAT GREW FROM CONCRETE

Did you hear about the rose that grew
from a crack in the concrete?
Proving nature’s law is wrong it
learned to walk with out having feet.
Funny it seems, but by keeping it’s dreams,
it learned to breathe fresh air.
Long live the rose that grew from concrete
when no one else ever cared. 

- Tupac Shakur

MUSIC MONDAY – A MEMORY

On August 17, 2012 a grand celebration was given in honor of President Thomas S. Monson’s 85th birthday. The Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah was filled to capacity with 20,000+ happy concert-goers [hard to imagine that right now]. We enjoyed a beautiful program of music, narration and tributes in a program titled “Golden Days: A Celebration of Life.” Among the many gifted artists on the stage that night was Broadway star Rebecca Luker. A dear soul, with such a beautiful, memorable voice! I feel so lucky to be singing in the Choir loft behind her on that magical evening.

On February 9, 2020 Rebecca shared on her blog she had been diagnosed with ALS [also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease]. Although it has no cure, there are treatments that can significantly help to prolong and improve life, and many do live extra years. So, Rebecca kept a positive outlook. She lived with bravery and dignity, holding a virtual concert fundraiser in June 2020 for a promising new ALS drug therapy [it would be her last performance] – and pushing forward. In the fall, her husband Danny contracted COVID-19 and became deathly ill, but he made it through. Then Rebecca contracted the virus, but she actually had less symptoms than Danny! It felt for a while that perhaps the worst was behind them. However, on December 23, 2020 the beautiful, talented Rebecca died from her rapidly progressing disease. Gone in just 10 short months – and only 59 years old.

Rebecca freely offered the world all of her beautiful gifts – her songs, and her sweet soul. She changed lives for the better, and will always be remembered. May God bless Danny, the children, and all who are mourning her loss. I hope they will find comfort in the memories, and will feel her presence. Thanks to her hard work, self-less gifts, and the modern miracles of technology, we will always have a part of Becca right here, beside us. – Holly

...Daylight, I must wait for the sunrise
I must think of a new life
And I mustn't give in
When the dawn comes, tonight will be a memory too
And a new day will begin ...

...Another day is dawning...

...Look! A new day, has begun.