A Long Wished For Day

Are there a few things that you have always wanted to be able to do while life was still good?  I don’t mean things like visiting Rome.  You could do that any time, given that you could assemble the necessary funds.  I mean things that were dependent on outside forces – like ride the space shuttle!  Although why anyone would want to do that, I can’t imagine.  No, I really mean possible things, but only possible if something else out of your power happens.  Since I was in high school, I had desperately wanted to sing in Mozart’s Requiem.  It was a dream that seemed destined to remain ever unfulfilled.  But then I was able to join the wonderful St. James Cathedral Choir, and two months later, we performed it. And have done every other year since.  When I hear the opening chords, I am always filled with a trembley happiness and am grateful for my good fortune – every time. 

Another very longtime wish was to see The Magic Flute, live.   I listen to it all the time.  In fact, when Rachael was a tot, she used to sing along with the Queen of the Night – and did it very well!  This, as you can imagine,  brought a particular grandmaternal joy to my heart!  I had seen Magic Flute movies and taped performances, but never the real thing.  Until now!  And how wonderful it was - exceeding my wildest expectations!  When the giant snake came in, breathing fire, the crowd gasped in amazement and delight.  The snake reminded me quite a bit of Margaret, and I was sad to see it so quickly slaughtered.  Everything was enchanting. When the Queen of the Night let us in on the secret of her broiling rage, the crowd went wild, as they say.  Papageno was adorable, completely upstaging the saintly hero.  Isn’t this the way? Saints can be so boring, but the naughty ones, the ones with the our own foibles and weak wills are so much more delightful. You can get a little taste this wonderful production here. 

View from Opera Heights

The third thing, my other lifetime wish, is to live on a little farm and have a goat.  This one will never be fulfilled, I fear.  Even if farm and goat were given to me on a silver platter, I know that I am far too lazy to take care of them.  So I will be eternally happy that the first two were granted to me. 

Becca knitting in the interval