Susie Flax <susieflax@gmail.com> to Rebecca, Deb, Christine, Karen, Ronna, Bonni, Nina, Sun, Jun 7, 2015, 11:01 AM
Good morning ladies (and birthday girl Deb!!) So excited to see you all in LESS THAN TWO WEEKS!!!
So as you may or may not know, the amazing trio of Bonni, John, and Nina will be joined by Ari on keyboards to perform their extraordinary version of James Taylor’s Lighthouse (as well as one additional Hebrew song earlier in the service). No doubt Nina is working out harmonies as I type…
Anyway, we were thinking that as wonderful as it was to have them up there, it felt incomplete – and so, if you all are willing, we would be honored to have you say these words below preceding Lighthouse, so everyone has a part in the night.
Comes from Mr. Tushman’s graduation speech in Wonder, given that as you all know, my re-entry to reading has been to pick up the kids’ books. Gotta start somewhere, right?
Love you all and can’t wait to see you. xo s.
Becky: The best way to measure how much you’ve grown
isn’t by inches or the number of laps you can now run
around the track or even your grade point average –
though those things are important, to be sure.
Deb: It’s what you’ve done with your time,
how you’ve chosen to spend your days, and
who you have touched.
That is the greatest measure of success.
Christine: Courage. Kindness. Friendship. Character.
These are the qualities that define us as human beings,
and propel us, on occasion, to greatness.
Karen: Shall we make a new rule of life and to always try
to be a little kinder than is necessary?
Kinder than is necessary. Because it’s not enough to be kind.
One should be kinder than needed.
Ronna: We carry with us, as human beings,
not just the capacity to be kind,
but the very choice of kindness.
Such a simple thing, kindness.
Becky: Such a simple thing.
A nice word of encouragement given when needed.
Deb: An act of friendship.
A passing smile.
Christine: In the future you make for yourselves,
anything is possible.
Karen: If every single person in this room made it a rule
that wherever you are, whenever you can,
you will try to act a little kinder than necessary,
the world really would be a better place.
Ronna: And if you do this,
if you act just a little kinder than is necessary,
someone else, somewhere, someday, may recognize in you,
in every single one of you, the fact of God.
