Some were moved to tears

Eiffel Tower up shot, courtesy of Audrey Weber

I did not watch the Olympics opening ceremonies last Friday. I haven't watched any of the games either.

From what I've heard, when it comes to the opening ceremonies, I didn't miss anything. Or, more to the point, what I missed I am fortunate to have missed.

However.

On Friday night I did look up Celine Dion's performance. I found the video on YouTube.

Pretzels stood in for logs

I'd read that she was set to be paid two million dollars to sing one song.

I didn't know what she was going to sing.

Let me point out that I am not what anyone would call a fan of Celine Dion. That doesn't mean I don't like her; I think her God-given talent is extraordinary.

Heavy equipment littered the landscape

But I don't follow her career per se; there are a few songs of hers that you can't get away from and that's about the extent of it.

When, two or three weeks ago, I saw that there was a new documentary entitled I Am: Celine Dion on Prime Video, I was not moved to watch it.

Soon enough my curiosity got the better of me though, and I watched it. In two separate sittings.

The birthday boy had a few moods to work through

It was okay and I must admit that my preliminary opinion was that she was doing a lot of whining about what she has lost rather than making a point to be grateful for all that she has had.

I mean, lots of people get older and become sick without ever having had a stellar illustrious career spanning decades, and the adulation of at least half the world, not to mention earning hundreds of millions of dollars.

Fame and fortune. The whole nine yards. Celine has enjoyed it for a very long time.

Each set of memory cards came in a small tin

And the impression I got was that she could no longer sing. That Stiff Person Syndrome has made it impossible for her to reach the notes anymore. As in, her heart will go on but her voice won't.

So I was intrigued as to how she was going to sing on a global stage at an international event, and not have it be a disaster.

To put it succinctly, I underestimated Celine Dion. Or else we've all been played.

At any rate I was not ready for her performance. In fact after watching it once, I was almost unable to process what I'd seen and heard.

Dagny atop the Eiffel Tower last May

It left me in tears. The whole glittering spectacle was almost too much.

I have watched it probably twenty times since then. I don't speak (or sing, unless you count Frère Jacques) in French, but if I did, I would have it memorized.

I cry every time. Every single time.

It helps that Celine sang Hymne à L'Amour, one of my top ten favorite songs ever.

Brownie boulders

But as I texted my girls, who along with me were getting pretty animated about Celine's Olympic moment:

Imagine standing in the Eiffel Tower at night, the city of Paris at your feet, the iconic rings glowing above your head, a light show showering fire all around you, wearing sparkling white Dior and dripping in diamonds, singing to the entire world.

And to have it turn out like that. So dazzling, so definitive.

 Rhett's birthday cake was a construction site

For me it was a profound experience. I guess I need to go back and watch the documentary again, because it's clear that I missed something. Celine Dion can still sing and she just gave the performance of a lifetime.

The reason I am telling you all of this is that our Rhett turned three last week. Allow me to connect the dots.

We had a party for him a week ago Saturday, here at our house.

Stephanie and Melanie and Allissa came from North Carolina to celebrate with us.

The memory card matches were familiar faces

I had again used Personalization Mall to make him a gift I hoped he'd like: A memory card game made up of pictures of Rhett and his family members and pets and so forth. I got him two sets, for a total of forty-eight cards or twenty-four matches. That should keep him busy.

Meanwhile Elliot a/k/a Skippy was having a massively good time wearing an outfit given to his big brother by our beloved Mari, back when Rhett was tiny. It went with the whole idea of Rhett's party.

That's because Erica had decided on a construction worker theme. She made a chocolate sheet cake and used a stencil to put a big three on top in chocolate sprinkles.

I want a house made out of these

She had tiny heavy machinery doing work all over the cake, and dump trucks unloading pretzel "logs" and sugar wafer "lumber" and brownie "boulders."

So while she was setting all of that up, and Chad had gone to have some balloons inflated, and the meal was prepared all but for the grilling, I asked Rhett to pose near the table so that I could get a shot of him with his presents.

I was using my phone for the pictures while simultaneously broadcasting a playlist on Spotify.

Rhett became decidedly maudlin

There is a growing list of songs that we'll be using for Mike and Audrey's wedding, and I was playing that.

The songs are lush, romantic, heart-rending instrumentals.

As I began taking shots of Rhett and his presents and decorations, I realized that he was tuning up to cry.

There were signs along the way

I asked him what was the matter and he just pouted more.

Then I saw actual tears, so I went over and put my arms around him. By then he was out-and-out weeping, tears falling onto my lap.

Erica joined us and rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. We asked him what was the matter. Did he need a nap? Did he want to go upstairs and lounge on the guest bed and watch Paw Patrol until time to eat?

Let's build it and then eat it

But he wouldn't, or couldn't, say.

And then it came to me: it was the music. The songs I was playing on my phone. They were making him sad.

It's the music! Turn it off! I told Erica, and she did. Rhett's mood improved immediately, and a few minutes later he was playing as though nothing had happened.

There were some balloons taller than Rhett

Rhett is known for weeping when there is poignant music. He sometimes cries in church when they play Amazing Grace.

Like me whenever we sing The Old Rugged Cross as a congregational song. Never can I get through it without crying.

When Rhett was about eighteen months old, one day we were all together when Erica said, Watch this. She was holding him in her lap and she began singing My Bonny lies over the ocean, and Rhett began to cry.

I included a picture of the goose I met in Pittsburgh

She told us that every time she sang that song to him, he was reduced to tears. So she stopped singing it to him.

But he is still so affected by emotional music that we are beginning to wonder how he is going to get through the wedding in November.

He is the ring bearer and he has to be on display while the lush, romantic music plays and while his Aunt Audrey walks down the aisle on TG's arm.

There were no more tears by the time he ate his cake

We'll have to give him some pep talks before the day. Maybe immunize his emotions by playing a few bars of the songs every so often, so he gets used to hearing them.

Oh what am I saying? There won't be a dry eye in the house. Not mine, not Rhett's, and not anyone else's.

We'll just have to do our best. Like Celine did in Paris last Friday night.

Elliot is good at being happy Skippy boy

While I've been writing this, I've played Celine's Olympics video a couple of times. And yes it still brings me to tears.

Maybe the day will come when I can watch it without crying. But I hope it's not anytime soon. I kind of like it.

Is there a song that never fails to bring you to tears? Tell me in the comments.

And that is all for now.

=0=0=0=

Happy Tuesday

Comments

[AC]

Celine has quite a talent, and that was quite a spectacle. It is stirring to see people overcome their problems. I did see that she said something to the effect that she would do it if she had to crawl. We are catching a bit of the games.

[Mari]

We haven't watched the Olympics either and like you were happy to have missed the opening. That being said, I haven't seen Celine sing and now I'll be checking that as soon as I finish here. I've not seen her movie and like you know some of her songs but that's about it.
I love, love, love the birthday party! Skippy with that big smile is adorable
But Rhett! Hearing about how music affects him just melts my heart. Music gets me too, usually the old hymns. Great is Thy Faithfulness is sure to bring tears.
The wedding is sure to get us all...

[Jennifer]

@AC ... Yes she did say that but the problem is not that she can't walk; she said she could not sing because the muscles in front of her lungs were stiff. And she demonstrated that in the documentary, how no matter how much she wanted to, her voice cracked and she couldn't reach the notes. I don't know whether there is medication that enabled her to get through that but to my eyes and ears she was at the very tippy top of her considerable powers! So I am confused but that's nothing new, hahaha xoxo

@Mari ... Oh dear ... Great is Thy Faithfulness ... I have told my family, if you do nothing at my funeral but sing all verses of that song, that will be enough. That, and mention what a goofball I was, hahahaha! Yes our Skippy is quite the spectacle too. I can't WAIT to see you and Bob with that little grandson who's coming along any day now! And yes I promise the wedding will bring a tear to your eye, not least because you have been part of Audrey's story for so long. Be ready when you watch Celine sing that song because it will get you, I promise. It's incredible, aarrrgghhh! xoxo

[Ginny Hartzler]

Rhett is super sensitive, and I think that is a very good thing! The cake is amazing and I love it. So cute and creative! I am like you with Celine. Not a fan, but do not dislike her either. But this is what got to me. I saw a show where she said she cannot live without singing and having an audience, and she misses it so much. So then, WHY did she demand 3 million to return to something she loves so much? She certainly does not need the money. She should just have been so thankful that she could go there and do this! 3 million to get the world's adulation. I DO feel really badly for what she had gone thru and hope this does not make me sound hard hearted! Decidedly maudlin is my favorite sentance here today!

[Skunk (aka Mike Bay)]

I've watched none of the Olympics and won't be.

Music doesn't usually move me that way, though a very few times it has.

[Carla TePaske]

Hello,
I love the birthday party. I am making notes to copy some of these ideas for a party. Love it!
Carla

[Donna G]

Celine’s song was wonderful, very dramatic and powerful in that setting! I wish I knew the words.
The first time I listened to it was through some news channel, and the announcer afterwards said that she had been working with either a therapist or voice coach to be able to sing again. You sure couldn’t see any problem at all.
Rhett’s party was perfect for the little man, and brother Skippy looks a happy boy, so cute, the both of them.
Wedding bells…only 3+ months to go…pace yourself😉

[Maryellen]

So, this struck a note and you know that is when I chime in. Have I said this before? I don't hear well. I have had severe hearing loss for 30 years now and I regularly hear little of the conversations around me but have learned to smile and laugh, keying off the energy of the people around me. But, recently I went with other family members to visit my daughter in another state. Now my daughter knows how to communicate with me because I have had hearing loss since shortly after she was born. But because there were many family members and the conversation was frequently flying, I understood little. I spent several days with my daughter and her boyfriend and because of the logistics I heard maybe 20% of what they said. I held it together during the visit but when I came home I was sadder than sad. Way beyond sad. One of my brothers basically told me to stop whining, to put it in the perspective of my whole life and my wonderful children and the worse difficulties that others have, and I said, "Talk to me when you sit in a restaurant and can't hear a word that your own daughter is saying." Did I recover? Yes. My daughter and I are going on vacation just the two of us in September and I will understand everything then because she can focus on my communication needs and not everyone else's. And when I talk to her by phone I use captioning and so can understand. Etc etc ad infinitum but my point is that sometimes people who seem to have really good lives still need to whine because the loss of what they once had is just too painful, especially when they stop to think about it. That's what I eventually told my brother. And I bet Celine is generally less whiney in her everyday life. It's ok to whine sometimes. And then get over it. But it's essential sometimes to have the space to whine and let it out.

Which song makes me cry? Be Not Afraid. My mom loved it too and I played it for her during the weeks she was dying. I sang along with it too - using captions again - and told mom that somewhere inside I knew she was chuckling at my voice even though I couldn't see it.

Life is something, isn't it? Let's cherish the many joyful moments.

Thank you for listening, friend.

[Jennifer]

@Ginny ... I absolutely concur with you re: Celine. She never mentioned in that show about the decades of worldwide adulation she has enjoyed, but only mourned the loss of it. I understand that she is a performer and that's what they do and so on, but there is so much more to live for than that. Especially when you're a multi-millionaire and have two young children. You don't sound hard-hearted at all; after seeing the show and then seeing her sing like she did Friday night in Paris, I feel a wee bit manipulated, hahaha! Glad you liked "decidedly maudlin" hahaha xoxo

@Mike ... I won't be watching either. I'm a sucker for music though, haha! xoxo

@Carla ... Wasn't that party idea just adorable! Save it for when you have grandsons, hahaha xoxo

@Donna ... There is an English translation of Hymne à L'Amour and my favorite rendition is by the British singer Elaine Paige. If you have a Spotify account, look it up or you can probably find it on YouTube! Celine's performance was unforgettable, so moving. Speaking of moving, we are moving towards those wedding bells you mentioned! Hahaha pace ourselves is right. xoxo

@Maryellen ... I did not realize that your hearing loss was that profound. I cannot imagine what that's like! Of course your brother is right but it's completely understandable that you were sad after that trip. It definitely will be better in September when you and your daughter have your own vacation. I'm sure you're right about Celine and of course she has a histrionic personality to begin with, but I felt there was a little too much stress on her troubles in the documentary, and very little, if any at all, on how amazingly privileged she is and has been. Audrey told me that she read somewhere that Celine had to be dosed with some powerful medications to be able to pull off the performance on Friday night. If what Celine herself said in the movie was correct, then that has to be the case, at least to some degree. At any rate it impresses me that she took the risk because there was the possibility of failure. All I know is, it was a truly monumental and iconic moment. I think that word "iconic" is overused but in this case it is appropriate. I have a new respect for her, at least in the realm of her profession. It was a song for the ages. And now I'm going to look up "Be Not Afraid" because I don't think I know that song! Meanwhile, let not your heart be troubled, friend! xoxo

[Skunk (aka Mike Bay)]

Bobbie Gentry & Glen Campbell - Let It Be Me (January 1969)(stereo)

I don't know if this link works, but here is one of a very few songs that can get me a tad emotional.

[Jim and Barb]

Poor Rhett! It sounds like sensitivity runs in the family. What a great day though! Love the theme of the day and all the heavy equipment needed to set the stage!

[Jennifer]

@Mike ... Oh dear now THAT is a love song, and their rendition is just so gorgeous! Love it. I can honestly say that that song brings a tear to my eye too. Thanks for reminding me because I am developing a wedding reception playlist! xoxo

@Jim and Barb ... Yes the Rhett Man is all boy but has an emotional side to him too, hahaha! And I felt that Erica really outdid herself with those decorations! xoxo

[Dianna]

I know I tell you this a lot, but I think it's worth repeating ...I LOVE TO COME HERE! I enjoyed this post so much. Precious little Rhett...I love his sensitivity to music. I'm wondering how the Lord will use that in his life as he grows...do we maybe have a little composer in the making in our midst? I'm glad he was able to enjoy his birthday. The cake and all of the decorations were amazing. His mama did a great job with the cake. And I am with you when it comes to having a house made out of the wafers. I am afraid thought that I would literally eat us out of house and home! :)

Thank you for sharing about Celine Dion. I've seen that the documentary is on Prime, but I have yet to watch it. Now, because of you, I will give it a go as well as her performance at the Olympics.

Have a wonderful week, dear Jenny. xx

[Jennifer]

@Dianna ... oh I'm so glad you love to come here because I love that you come here, hahaha! And if you do nothing else, definitely watch Celine's performance in Paris. And I do believe our little Rhett has music in his heart and that can only ever be a positive thing! I have heard it said that other than people, music is the only thing here on earth that will be in Heaven. Guess there won't be any vanilla wafers then, hahahaha! Maybe we can sneak some in ... xoxo

[Donna]

It's the same for me as a Whitney Houston fan...her, I will Always Love You...brings me to tears, every time I hear it.
I refuse to watch Anything NBC or, from the Olympics...but I wish her well. Has a lovely voice.
Your Rhett is intuitive! What a wonderful gift from God...
hugs
Donna

[Jennifer]

@Donna ... You must watch Celine sing that song. Just do it! Grit your teeth but you must listen! OK so as for Whitney Houston ... Audrey cries when she watches the video of her singing "I Look To You" ... she is singing to God and it is devastating in light of her fate. Watch it on YouTube! xoxo

[Barb]

Well, now I will have to watch Celine's performance in Paris. We didn't watch the Olympics though Ben and Paula were in Paris in a missionary capacity on their honeymoon. Little Rhett - he has a depth of feeling unusual for a child of his age. I think if he has a breakdown during his ring bearer duties, his Daddy should just go and carry him down the aisle. Ben was 3 when he was ring bearer for his uncle Gregg - he started crying coming down the aisle, so his Dad who was the Best Man left his post, carried him to the altar, and held him for the remaining ceremony. Amanda, Ben's twin, was the Flower Girl and performed her duties with pizzazz. Sometimes the unexpected moments are the most treasured. Erica has boundless creativity - what could be a better birthday theme for a 3 year old boy?

[Jennifer]

@Barb ... first YES our Erica is just a wonder at the birthday parties but then, there are so many themes online that sometimes the hardest thing is to choose one! But she outdid herself on this one! Elliot's first birthday is coming up in one month so she has a chance for an encore! I agree that Chad (a groomsman) should pick Rhett up if the worst happens. I used to be one hundred percent AGAINST kids in weddings. That was before I had grandkids, hahaha! Yes be sure to watch Celine's performance. As I said I am not a true "fan" and most likely would agree with her personally on very few topics, but WOW can that girl put a song over! Hahaha xoxo