On the weekend of her 9th Birthday, this little girl sang the Glee version of “Defying Gravity” at a local vocal recital in my area. Fortunately, I was able to take my own two daughters to go watch her perform. I don’t want to ruin it for you, but let’s just say that this girl stood out entirely!
… And let’s just say that watching & listening to her on stage was awe-inspiring!
… And lets just say that I literally got chills during her performance!
… And let’s just say that I am not at all biased because she is my niece! 
Honestly, I don’t know what to say to make this “fit” my blog’s intended content. I have no clever play on words that involve simplicity or frugality or frivolity or eco-mentality. I can’t think of how to present this in a way that makes it feel like it belongs here. All I can say is that I wanted to share this with as many people as I could.
I always knew Jade was talented; we all did. But something changed for me that night. I had the opportunity to see her in a setting much different than my own living room, and I finally “got it”. This is her gift, this is her “God-given ability”, this is how she makes a difference in her own corner of the world. She stirred up something deep inside me, and I’d be foolish to say that part of that doesn’t have to do with the fact that I’m her “Mamos”. But I have to say, judging by the audience members’ faces, and hearing their comments to each other afterwards, I know for sure that they were just as moved by her as I was.
My daughters and I have been watching this video over & over again, and we find ourselves singing this song non-stop. After a few days, I realized that the lyrics resonate with me too; the words feel like they represent the journey that led me to start this blog.
Something has changed within me
Something is not the same
I’m through with playing by the rules
Of someone else’s game
Too late for second-guessing
Too late to go back to sleep
It’s time to trust my instincts
Close my eyes: and leap!It’s time to try
Defying gravity
I think I’ll try
Defying gravity
Kiss me goodbye
I am defying gravity
And you wont bring me down!
Sometimes when I feel an emotion that I can’t quite put into words, I find a poem or quote that can do it for me. Sometimes rather than trying & fumbling & saying the wrong thing, I’ll just play a song that represents my feelings, and my husband immediately understands (more on that later, I’m sure). Sometimes music is better at getting your message across than words. And there absolutely is a simplicity in that.
A couple of days ago, one of my children said “I can’t do it.” And rather than giving another pep talk or another raised brow, I stayed quiet and simply played this video, of Jade – Defying Gravity.
