When We Forget the Words: The Power of Community Support

A Recital and the Power of Community Support 

This week, I want to share a story that beautifully reflects the power of community support — something that has been sitting in my heart 💛.

A week before the Infinite Possibilities conference, despite my long to-do list, I spent 4½ hours on the road to drive up to UF to see Ethan’s 3rd-year voice recital🎶. Totally worth it. He sang his first Italian aria. It was a challenge for this musical theater kid to sing opera. I was both blown away by his growth and so proud of his courage. ( Posted it on IG and FB if you want to see it.)  

But that moment—beautiful as it was—wasn’t the one that stayed with me the most.

The voice recital challenges these students to push past their comfort zone. Since they study singing, dancing, and acting, they naturally have both strengths and weaknesses. This story is about one of E's best friends in the program. He is an incredible dancer. His strength. For him, singing two solos in front of peers, parents, and professors is nerve-wracking. He’s grown so much since his freshman year, and rocked his first song. His second song was a challenge, a ballad by John Legend.

He began the song, but had to immediately stop because he realized he had started with the wrong verse. He nervously reset, and I watched as he tried to center himself. He locked eyes with Ethan, who mouthed something quietly to him. They took a breath together, and then he began again. This time, his voice was strong on key and filled with emotion. You could feel his heart in it. We were all rooting for him. 

And then… it happened. Somewhere in the second verse, he lost the lyrics. Panic flashed across his face, and he froze. I froze, too. 

But without missing a beat, his classmates began singing the song back to him. Gently, confidently. They carried the melody with him until he could pick it up again.

The gesture, the moment, was so beautiful, I cried. Like, real tears.

Because that is what a real community is. When someone forgets the words, we sing for them until they find their voice again.

On the long drive home, I thought about my crew at IPC and what it means to be part of the team. I thought about how this is the kind of community I lead in my own circles and programs. It’s the kind of world I want to live in.

If someone misses a note, we carry it for them.

If someone forgets the melody, we hum it softly until they remember.

Right now, the world feels divided and uncertain. People are hurting, people are scared 😔, and we’re navigating a lot. One thing we can do is hold a container of love, compassion, and empathy for those we are in community with — to keep our values close and bring each other back to the present moment, and to what is possible. Idealized? Yes. But we need a vision to move toward.

So, if you see someone who’s lost the thread, forgotten their line, or missed their cue, see if you can pick up a note or two. And if you lose the harmony, open your eyes to see who might be quietly humming it back to you in support.  

And together, let’s keep singing 🎵❤️.