Synchronicities

Just a couple weeks ago, Bill and I had one of those full-circle life moments. My posts on Facebook said it all. First update early in the day: “Very excited to see Robert Plant tonight! Bill has been a fan since 2nd grade when he bought ‘Led Zeppelin II’ at a garage sale across the street for a quarter.”

Second update much later that night: “Front-row center concert tickets – $200; dinner & drinks before the show – $60; Robert Plant giving us a smile & a nod after ‘Ramble On’ – Priceless.”

Wow, what an absolute thrill to hang out right at the stage, just a few feet in front of one of the greatest rockstars of all time. An experience we won’t ever forget!

There was so much magic and synchronicity wrapped up into that night. Initially, we had fantastic third-row seats and were incredibly excited as my first Facebook update showed. Shortly before the concert, though, I ‘accidentally’ stumbled upon Read more »

Just then the legendary rock band’s founder and vocalist, Marty Balin, came out to do a soundcheck. We smiled and waved to him, and I’m sure it was obvious that we were excited for the concert. So Marty asked if we wanted to come backstage and hang out before the show. We enthusiastically made our way through the gate and got fitted with special wristbands. We had Marty all to ourselves Read more »

When I was 12 years-old I fell in love with Neil Diamond…the man, and his music (that’s me on the left, circa 1981!). As a kid, I often felt sad and lonely, and Neil’s music was a constant in my unstable world. Through his songs, I experienced a deep sense of joy and felt “heard,” which I so yearned for. And I’ve always been inspired by other people who follow the things in life that bring them joy. As a singer, songwriter, and performer, Neil excels at that!

Today, I’m as loyal and faithful of a fan as ever, so when Neil embarked on a big tour last year, I was thrilled! He kicked off the U.S. leg of his tour right here in Minnesota, and Bill and I saw several shows on the road and had a blast…getting front row tickets every time! Later you’ll hear more about how we got those tickets, but for now, let’s just say that at just the right time, they always appeared. And we are SO grateful!

Anyway, it was quite a run, and as the tour was winding down, we noticed that there was a show coming up in Grand Forks, North Dakota (which, in late November, is not necessarily high on our list of places to visit). We had already spent a good amount of money on shows and it would be a long, cold drive; it just didn’t seem realistic or practical to Read more »

As I’ve been learning, when you’re following your joy, the universe sends back messages telling you that you’re on the right track. I love messages! Within 24 hours of making my blog official, three things happened.

First I got an email from a dear friend (who didn’t know about my blog) telling me about an exciting event she had coming up, as a respite from some tough times she had been experiencing. Her final comment to me was “I deserve this joy in my life.”

Then the next morning, the first email in my Inbox was from an inspirational quote service. The title in the subject line read: “JOY.” (If you’re curious about the quote, it was by Emily Dickinson and said: “Find ecstasy in life; the mere sense of living is joy enough”). Good stuff!

Finally, and most powerful of all, Read more »