Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts
Showing posts with label friends. Show all posts

Courage and Friendship

"Courage is not the absence of fear. It’s about being scared and doing it anyway. For you cannot have courage without fear." -unknown
Courage and Friendship on Great Display At The Cole Elementary Talent Show
My eldest son, whom I write about here on Lyrics and Love often, was gearing up to perform at his school talent show on May 18th. He was practicing for weeks to perform his very first Carter Garrett original. I say he was practicing for weeks, but he has had this planned for months. The night comes and he takes the stage as student number 14. I think my own heart is going to pound out of my chest, and I am pretty sure butterflies where living in my stomach. I knew how hard he had worked, and I really was proud of him before he even stepped a foot on stage. I also knew how hard he is on himself. Halfway through the first verse I hear his sweet little voice crack, and he just can’t hold back the nerves. Time seemed to go into slow motion. I saw him close his little eyes in an attempt to compose himself, but the lights, the audience, the perfectionist within was just too much. The tears flooded his face. My heart was crushed for him. I wanted so much to rescue my sweet boy. It’s hard to witness your child experiencing life’s tough moments. His Dad finally walks to the stage and helps him exit, and we have a little family meeting away from the crowd. It was heartbreaking watching him still wringing his little 9 year old hands and crying into our shoulders. Stephen and I did our best to encourage him, but honestly we were failing. I was throwing up silent prayers of comfort and peace over his little heart, but neither of us really knew what to do. Then something tender and sweet began to happen. His principle, peers and teachers start rallying around him speaking words of encouragements over him and patting him on the back whispering, "you can do it Carter, give it another try”. His Cole family was backing him up. They were giving my son something so much more beautiful than the spot light. They were giving him love. They were giving him a second chance. They were giving him just the little push of courage he needed. So, the second time around Carter walked to the stage picked up his guitar stepped up to the microphone followed on stage by four of his classmates(who knew every word to his song), and they dedicated Carter's original song “I Wonder” to his 4th grade teacher. Without a hitch, the song was complete. The crowd cheered and clapped. The happy ending was ours tonight. Friendship and courage had taken center stage at Cole Elementary’s talent show! And the Mommy tears flowed freely and sweetly and my heart was happy! 

Past Interwined With Present

Traveling back to about 11 years ago, I was just shy of turning sixteen, super excited and very nervous to be interviewing for a entry level position at the Overton County News. You know, "the sweep the floor, deliver the papers, and take in the world of writing going on around me" kind of position. Never the less, I was excited. So there I was sitting across from Carson Oliver(Chief as we called him) owner and operator of the award winning weekly publication in Livingston, TN. By the end of the interview I was smiling with the knowledge that in a couple of weeks, when the paper settled into their shiny, and much roomer new building located on West Main Street, I would be employed by the Overton County News. I am sure that working for the newspaper only fueled my desire to overcome dyslexia and write to the best of my ability. I have to say that my first job was by far the coolest first job, I mean it sure beat flipping burgers for gas money. I continued to work at the paper for the next 3 years up until I married and moved away to Nashville in May of 2000. It was a sad day telling Carson I was leaving…I actually loved my job and all the people that I worked with, but I was off to Nashville to chase after a dream with my husband.
So you may be asking what does working at a paper in my past intertwine with here and now and the theme of this blog mostly being music??…Well besides the Overton County News giving me so many of the skills I use to blog,  while I was employed there I met Darren Oliver whom  has become a huge supporter of my husband’s music career. Often times he and his ever so beautiful fiancee, Pat Gore, make trips to come out and support the music. Whether that’s  a late night trip to Nashvegas or bringing us in to Livingston for a little home town support!
Most recently Darren put together this amazing 40th birthday party bash for Pat at a local dance studio located on the square in Livingston, TN, which included  food, cake, candle light, good friends, and music. Stephen and I where both so honored when Darren approached Stephen about performing at the the party which would include the Birthday girl living a dream and performing  for a live audience.  I have to say the party was wildly successful and so very much fun to be apart of. Pat’s performance was priceless.  In other words, she did an amazing job!!!
Photo Credit Darren Oilver
So all that to really just say that I have been blown away by the support we have received from my old co-worker, and I just want to say thank you for all of it. All the support is so appreciated, and it’s always so good to see a familiar face in the crowd when Stephen performs. A face that reminds me of the best job I ever had, and a face that reminds me that people really do get excited and they really do connect with the music. So thank you for being such a loyal and supportive fan and friend Darren!