From the Heart

Terry told me about this free fundraising concert to help raise funds to help fight cancer. The concert took place at Trinity Prep Academy (5700 Trinity Prep Lane, Winter Park). We walked in without any high expectations. I picked out a front row seat with a clear view of the piano. As we sat and waited, I penciled in the details of the stage. I figured when the performers arrived I would ink them in. Norah Jones was singing soulfully over the speakers to the audience as they arrived. We had just seen her in concert the previous night and I was smitten. She is following me and haunting my thoughts.
Nassi Brandes sat at the piano and opened the event with a quick piece. Then a series of speakers explained the importance of the evening to the audience. 14 Arab and 14 Jewish children with life threatening cancer had traveled to Orlando from their everyday lives isolated in hospital beds and treatment rooms to get a chance to just be kids and play in the Orlando theme parks. Politics of a war-torn Middle East mean little to these children. I glanced over and saw for the first time that an entire section of the audience was filled with children wearing white shirts. One girl had a gauze eye patch on and and I suddenly realized these were the children. Their travel had been organized by Travel Holdings. Give Kids The World organized a morning at their World Village and the children would also gain access to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios and all of the Disney theme parks.
The concert was fabulous. As Aviva Avidan sang an Israeli song some of the children started to dance. I noticed Terry looking over and when she turned to me there were tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. The final act was a folk-pop-rock band called “The Wellspring.” One of their songs called “Put up a Fight” reminded me that Terry and I need to continue to fight to regain common ground from which we can once again grow together. We haven’t yet lost the war. Their final song had a beat that you simply have to dance to. Suddenly all the children got up on stage and started to dance. They all moved with pure joy and abandon. Celebrate life! Live, Laugh, Love, Sing! Life is too short, so make this and every moment count!