From Joan Baez to Frankie Valli to Sunday Morning

I love life entertainment and lately I have been privileged to see two "icons": Joan Baez and Frankie Valli. Of course, when I tell others that I am going to a concert, I often get the response, "Are they still alive?" Frankly, I never know what to expect when seeing someone who has been performing for 50 years and still going out there. It's no secret that I went to Frank Sinatra concerts all the way up to the end.So, last night I was in Manhattan to see a small 82-year-old man come on the stage and bring the house down. Yes, Frankie Valli is much better than "Jersey Boys", the musical that has all his music in it. I felt like I was at a sing-in, with everyone singing along as Frankie led us. The banter in between songs, his humor, and, of course, his one and only falsetto voice made it all a unique experience.It's always good to see an octogenarian with spunk, spirit, and energy, still doing his or her thing. Joan Baez (who is not quite 80 yet!) sang this song by Tom Waits that I found rather inspiring: "Last Leaf on the Tree". Allow me to share it with you:

I’m the last leaf on the treeThe autumn took the restBut they won’t take meI’m the last leaf on the tree

When the autumn wind blowsThey’re already goneThey flutter to the groundCause they can’t hang onThere’s nothing in the worldThat I ain’t seenI greet all the new ones that are coming in green

I’m the last leaf on the treeThe autumn took the rest but they wont take meI’m the last leaf on the tree

They say I got staying powerHere on the treeBut I’ve been here since EisenhowerAnd I’ve out lived even he

I fight off the snowI fight off the hailNothing makes me goI’m like some vestigial tailI’ll be here through eternityIf you want to know how longIf they cut down this treeI’ll show up in a song

None of us has a map into the future and a recipe for survival. I do know that it will take wisdom, tenacity, and especially faith that will allow us to continue to make inroads into this world for compassion, healing, and good.  It all begins with an attitude adjustment on Sunday morning.MEH

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A Father's Thoughts on His Daughter's Wedding