Dirait-on

My last morning in New York, tired and happy, I wandered around the neighborhood--Riverside Drive and 125th Street. I took some Vivian Maier-style pictures, tried to soak up as much New York energy as I could possibly hold, and then thought I'd just pop in to see Riverside Church again. The doors were open, and to my complete surprise and great delight, a wonderful high school choir was rehearsing Morten Lauridsen's gently meditative piece, "Dirait-on." The audience was only a couple of parents with iPads, two Buddhist monks, and me. A perfect ending to a perfect trip. The choir director is at the top of her game: funny, sharp, intense, and yet able to direct and command over a hundred teenagers. You'd have to search hard and long to find anybody who works harder than high school teachers in the arts, and I am endlessly thankful for them.

Now I'm back home, so tired I'm cross-eyed, and as happy as I've ever been in my life. I was expecting my son to meet me at the airport and yet another surprise! Bella came with him. Joy in every direction.