Watching Friends Soar

In my job at the school, I was always cheering for other people's children to do well. It was a natural thing to do, and how gratifying it was when they achieved more than we could have dreamt for them.

So last night when I watched Chris Mann "knock it out of the park," as one close to him said, it was not so unlike being back at school, except on a much bigger stage. He was fabulous last night, and it was so much fun to actually know someone on The Voice!

Although I have known Chris since he was born, I never realized how good a singer he was until he appeared in a Music Theater for Young People performance of Grease. As Danny Zucko, he showed all of us what a good voice he had . . . and this was just the beginning. At his senior recital, we were blown away by this young man who could play the piano and sing; and during his years at Vanderbilt, we continued to watch his voice mature. We attended special performances in Wichita, downloaded his songs from iTunes, watched him at the River Festival concert he held, and caught individual performances when we could. And we kept hoping just the perfect thing would come along.

It did. In the form of the tv show The Voice. Last night (Sunday), was his blind audition, and he did a wonderful job. I had chills and tears watching him perform . . . and watching his parents watching him perform. It was the greatest.

Many say that it takes a village to raise a child. I cannot agree more. It takes good parents to raise them and the village to encourage them. And sometimes, when things go right, they grow up to be outstanding surgeons or doctors or mothers or lawyers or teachers . . . or singers on The Voice. Keep up the good work, Chris. You make us all proud.