A Day of Caring

Music filled the room. If melodies are the language of compassion and understanding, then literally we had “A Day of Caring,” like no other. The students at VSAA were well prepared and so this was one of those rare occasions where all I had to do was enjoy. After a little trouble with the directions that the students were given, we arrived at Colombia House, a lovely retirement center in the heart of Downtown Vancouver. They practiced in the backroom for a while as the clients filtered in.

Names reasserted their relevance through the mouths of there students, representing their school, community and future. There were at least four Beatles songs sung, a Frank Sinatra classic on trumpet, a soulful rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow, as well as current hits like Love Song and even some original tunes.

I met a gentleman named Will, who told me he had come to every VSAA Performance there since ti began, five years ago. Every students gets this chance to participate in this day to give back to their community. The panorama of instruments and talents reminded me of the school’s mission. There were twenty projects offered for the students to chose from, half of which I am happy to say I helped put together. Afterward, I followed up with the organizations to see how everything went for each agency.

Furthermore, the students and clients thanked me for being there. Gratitude and success seem to go hand in hand!