three special songs

Last Sunday was an incredibly busy, well attended farmers market in Ladner Village. It was such a warm and appreciative crowd and I really enjoyed myself (and it was remarkably profitable to boot). As always there were many powerful and interesting interactions with the crowds of families but the most profound moment came while I was singing Fly at Night by Chilliwack. Suddenly out of nowhere appeared a man in a Canucks tshirt, he wasn't tall, was perhaps in his 20's and was seemingly  a person with Down Syndrome. He was standing right in front of me and I watched him for a while....his lip movements were a little compromised but for a second it looked like.....wait...yes......is he?........yes I think he is... he is singing along with the song. I smiled and turned my focus exclusively to him to confirm my observation and soon enough I became sure that he was mouthing the words along with me. At the end of the song I told him I was impressed with his singing and I asked if he was a Chilliwack fan? He said yes. So I told him I would sing another song for him and then I quickly explained to the crowd that I had recorded this song and used it to talk about bullying, then I began to play Baby Blue. Sure enough, every word I sang, he was singing along as well

, this time he was singing out loud. He stood right in front of me and I sang the entire song to him my eyes locked on his, his locked on mine (except to look back and beam once in a while towards his caregiver). I kept thinking how great it was that he had such great taste in music and I was vaguely aware that the crowd had started to notice this 'moment' too and were watching us. I was glad. I wanted them to see him, to see how beautiful he was, how freespirited, how powerfully he felt the music. I could see it, I wanted them to as well. After I finished the song we were beaming at each other and I told him I was impressed with his love of music. Then I dedicated "I Believe" to him and we sang that together too. My eyes never left him and again, word for word he matched my vocals. The crowd saw it and I could feel the love, it seemed as if we all recognized each others souls for a moment, human souls talking in a language that transcends everything. At the end of the song I put my hand out and high fived the young man. We smiled at each other, the smile on his face unmistakable, it was clear he is a music lover. He may very well forget me soon enough, I'm just a girl singing and strumming at the market but I myself am pretty sure I will never forget singing those three songs with him.