...a lesson in bravery

i.ve been thinking about a little boy i met several weeks ago 

as i was wondering the streets of ojai, california with my sweet friend kolleen.

ojai is a quaint little artist town nestled in a beautiful valley

just east of santa barbara. we had just come out of a gallery store...{ok, maybe the candy shop} and i heard this plunking sound like someone playing a cheep ukulele from a beach vendor.  we walked down a bit and there on the ground was a pair of the bluest eyes looking up at me.

we.ll call him daniel. 

daniel was all alone, sitting on a concrete ledge strummin his guitar like he owned the town.  because i.m a mother, my first instinct was to look around to see if his parents were lurking nearby.  maybe waiting quietly in their car or sitting a few benches away, reading a book, observing their son.s fearlessness.  nope. no one.  i bent down so i could look at daniel right in his soulful eyes. 

he didn.t smile.  we just looked at each other and he kept playing.

when his song was over i asked him his name.  i asked him how old he was  and how long he had been playing the guitar.  we talked about his music career and how the worst part was practicing.  i agreed.  i never liked to practice the piano when i was little, i told him.  he told me about the stickers he had placed haphazardly on his six string and then just like that, he was done talking and started playing again.  i looked down at his empty guitar case, knowing he was hoping i would throw in a few coins.

as i went to toss in some tender for his talent, he pointed to his shoe...

and i wondered if he had learned the hard way to keep the money under foot.

i silently hoped he had not.

i.ve thought lately about daniel.  about what i could learn from him.  about his bravery.  you wouldn.t catch me sittin on a curb, playing my guitar for money anytime soon.  i dont have that kind of confidence.  but daniel was comfortable with his discord.  comfortable with what he could do...even if it was plucking at some strings.  he held his head high and said to the world...

this is me...hear my song.

and we did!

{cul*ti*vate some daniel like bravery and SING YOUR SONG}