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There have been a few moments in the last few weeks that have really hit me. They are moments that will stay with me for a long time–etched in my brain. They have displayed the power of music and re-affirmed in me a love for what I do. I wanted to share a few of them with you.

The first was at a fair in Montana.

We were singing with Trace and there was a girl in a wheelchair in the center section right in front of the stage. It was evident that she had some sort of disability, but that did not keep her and her friends/family from pushing her to the front of the crowd to get her as close to the stage as possible. They raised up her wheelchair and she sang along to every song she knew. Her friends would help her raise her arms and wave along to the music. It was such a beautiful moment. I actually had to look away because I started to tear up so much. It was a powerful image of how people connect to music and how it moves the soul. She beamed with light. I will never forget her face.

The second was at our last show in Hyannis, MA. It was at a venue unlike any other I’d ever performed at before. It was in the round and the stage spun slowly as we performed. If you need a visual, here is the website (http://www.melodytent.org/)

The cool thing about the stage rotating is that you could get a really good look at all of the faces in the crowd. A few songs into the show,  Trace recognized an Army unit that had family at the show. The unit was serving overseas so Trace took time to acknowledge them…and the entire audience applauded. The next song in the set was “You’re Gonna Miss This” and as the song started I saw two women holding a sign with their soldiers’ unit numbers and tears were flowing down their cheeks. They sang along and cried and I wanted to walk right off the stage and hug both of them. Ugh. Plus, the lyrics to that song just seemed to articulate that moment perfectly. Right after that, I looked over and saw a man, probably in his late 60′s, bent over and sobbing. You guys, if there is something that breaks my heart into a billion pieces, it’s older men crying. I can’t handle it. I wondered if he’d lost a child in that unit serving overseas. My heart just broke. I kept my eye on these precious people throughout the night and watched them cry and then smile and laugh as the show went on. Trace is such a wonderful entertainer–it was amazing to watch him take these people on a journey. Forgetting about their circumstances…lost in music. Ugh. It did my heart so good. I loved every second.

I have always believed that music brings people together. It speaks a universal language. It can transcend mood, obstacles and distractions. It can change you. These moments the past few weeks have shown me that over and over again.

Music just gets me.

Every time.

-k

This picture was taken Easter morning on Martha’s Vineyard in 2007. It was so cold but so beautiful.

Sunrises are so great. Their complexity has both a physical and emotional element. The colors that peek out over the blackness changing from purple-blue to red to orange…it’s physically stunning to watch. But, there is also an emotional side to sunrises that captivates us.

Whatever yesterday held is no longer. It’s in the past. The slate is wiped clean. All of your day that got messy or ruined  yesterday is dipped in black, wiped clean and the sun arises to show us a new day has begun.

We all need second chances. Heck, if you’re like us you need one hundredth, one thousandth chances and so on

A new day is just that. Whatever you are holding onto from yesterday, let it go.

Today is a brand new day…with endless opportunities within reach.

xo

j&k

To us, one of the greatest things about social media is the way you can get to know total strangers you would otherwise have zero interaction with. You might have never crossed paths with this person otherwise but because of social media platforms you can literally follow someone’s journey through life…sometimes quite intimately.

Weird concept right?

Well, we kind of love it. Here are a few people we are thankful we’ve gotten to know via social media because we’ve never met any of them IRL (in real life):

Monica Potter.

This woman is pretty stellar…and not just because she’s on one of our favorite TV shows Parenthood. We’ve known her for her acting work throughout the years (who didn’t love her in Head Over Heels w/ Freddie Prinz?? WE DID!) but because of social media we’ve seen a whole new side. She is a mother. A gardening buff. A cook. A hostess. Her social media presence is so full of joy and happiness…it’s a serious bright spot in the twitter feed y’all. She does these #tuesdaytips full of helpful ideas that fans submit. She also just recently launched this A-DOR-ABLE website called mrspotter.com and it’s full of crafting ideas, recipes, gardening tricks…she just seems like she is being herself. Another win for us…she posts pictures of herself without gobs of makeup on…which we value because it helps us remember that we are all normal. Sometimes social media can trick us into thinking that everyday life looks like a photoshoot 24/7…full hair and makeup and well, that’s not reality. So, thanks Monica for keeping it real. Keep doing your thing.

Team Kicker

This person is relatively new to us…and it’s definitely been awesome getting to know this little dude. His name is Caleb aka “Kicker”, he is 3 years old and he is fighting leukemia. We’ve never met him but found out about his story through a mutual friend. Now, we are invested in Kicker’s story. We follow along with his parents and older sister as they navigate these tough days. We pray for them. We get excited when he’s having a good day or test results come back positively. Which is so interesting to us to be able to somewhat share this intense journey with people we’ve never met. Again, the wonders of social media. Because of Team Kicker we also learned about the coolest organization called Gamerosity. They crowd-fund for kids fighting cancer to buy them iPads to play with during chemo treatments. Watch their video on their website & try not to cry. Kicker got a hero package recently and his mom said it has been SUCH a HUGE help. Technology for the win.

Riawna Capri

We aren’t even sure how we found this gal. Does that ever happen to you? You somehow start following someone cause you got lost on a long rabbit trial on the inter-webs or Instagram but we’re glad we did She is a celebrity hair-stylist by trade but she is a full-throttle boost of positivity & kindness in our world. What we love about her is that she encourages other people. We saw her recently teaching a group of fellow stylists about a successful haircut she’d gotten lots of press about. She didn’t keep her successful hair-cutting-secrets to herself…she shared it with others. How cool is that? Super cool. Plus, she posts other positive messages and encourages people to live life to the fullest. We know nothing about hair but always look forward to seeing what adventures she gets up to. Plus, she looks like she’s having A LOT of fun with her friends…and that’s always a nice reminder Go adventuring with your friends. Laugh a lot. Thanks for reminding us of that Riawna…even though we aren’t sure how to say your name outloud

That’s just a few peeps that we are happy to follow along and support what they are doing.

Who are people you’ve never met but are happy you follow?

xo

j&k

We got to see David Ramirez play in Nashville a few weeks ago. Actually, we almost didn’t get to see him because we were fools and tried to buy tickets at the door. Rookie mistake! The show was sold out and so there was a 2.5 minute window of sheer panic and near tantrum at the thought of not being able to get in. But, we ended up buying tickets on our phones while we were standing outside because they were refusing people who hadn’t “already purchased tickets.” Don’t mind us while we work the system And sidenote: AWESOME-SAUCE that he is selling out venues. That is freakin’ stellar.

So, it’s not a surprise that we love him–we tweet and blog about him frequently…pretty much because we are obsessed with his voice and his songs. He is such a talent. And watching his show, we both learned something.

1) Your songs are enough. Sometimes we fall into the trap that we need something other than the song. We want to dress it up or over-perform it. He just stood up there and gave us his songs. And it was AMAZING. He earned the respect of the room and EVERYONE was listening…to every song. Now, that’s hard to do in a bar. But he and his band delivered his songs.

2) Say something. He reminded us that as songwriters and artists we are to communicate something. To say something. To present an idea. A thought. A feeling. Not to get caught up in hype and trying to write “the hits” …but to say what’s in your heart and mind. To move people in the direction of what you are thinking. Say something.

Good stuff for us to be reminded of.

If you aren’t familiar with his stuff…check him out here: David Ramirez

xo

j&k

Every once in a while I need to be reminded to calm down. I lose perspective. I think about ME too much and get all caught up in things that don’t matter. There’s so much going on that I don’t stop and reflect at all. I just go, go, go. So I need to tell myself….or be told, to do this:

TAKE A CHILL PILL, JiLL.

I genuinely miss that phrase. I used to wear it out in Junior High. I. Wore. It. Out. Ah, the good old days.

I don’t know about you, but I can start getting worked up and stressed out and act all crazy. Ain’t nobody got time for that. Chill. Sit down. Close your eyes. Take a minute.

Here are the top 5 chill pill options:

1. Find total silence and sit in it. 

Oh man, this is hard. Hard to find and also hard to actually do once you do find it. But it’s amazing how my mind settles down once I find that silence and accept it. Totally worth it.

2. Put on some relaxing, soothing tunes. 

My go-to for this scenario is Rosie Thomas. Or this time of year, Amy Grant’s Christmas album.

3. Bake.

This is therapeutic for me. I usually make cookies. Sometimes cupcakes. Sometimes I’ll try out a new Pinterest recipe that looks delicious or fun. And the bonus to this one is that you also get to eat whatever you bake. Win, win.

4. Read a book. 

I am reading “Daring Greatly” by Brene Brown right now. It’s not what you would call LIGHT reading, but it’s all about vulnerability…something I sometimes struggle with…and I’m learning a lot. It’s a good book for taking some time to reflect.

5. Go for a drive on quiet back roads.

My car is my safe, happy place. Something about the open road, being alone, and having the ability to just go somewhere…even if there’s really nowhere to go. I love to drive. It stabilizes my emotions.

There ya go….a few things I like to do when I need to calm down.

So what did you learn today? Advice from Jill: Take A Chill Pill.

Much love.

-j