14 January 2010

6 months in a lifetime

Check out the Chris Will Walk blog if you haven't lately (a link to it is on the right). Chris has blogged here. He mentions spiritual and emotional healing... the things that are unseen, and, I think, the things that are most important.

We will never understand why some things happen to us, and some things we can't change. But what we can change is our attitude, our approach to life, the way we deal with challenges. A friend reminds me occasionally to "never give up". Another says that it is adversity that brings out the best in us.

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This morning I woke with a song in my heart for no particular identifiable reason. The song was "Happy talky talk..." from South Pacific, which goes on to say "You gotta have a dream, if you don't have a dream, How you gonna have a dream come true?"

The short term dream, coming true with help from those who share the dream, is to host a Peace exhibition with work by New Zealand artists here in Cassino. Art with a message, rather than for decoration, is my goal.

The real dream, the dream of world peace, is a little harder to arrange. That doesn't mean it is not worth working for! There are several challenging peace protest songs out there, but these simple lyrics in One Man's Hand really say it all. (Click on the speaker to hear the song). You tube has the song as well, sung by a massed choir. The written lyrics on the link above are different from both choral versions. My preference is the sung version on the first link. What a wonderful expression of hope is in the words "if two and two and fifty make a million, we'll see that day come round, we'll see that day come round."

And, once again, when in thoughtful mood, I come back to the wonderful song reminding us to light a candle in the darkness.
Light a candle in the darkness
You will see a tiny glow
Ask a friend to light another
And watch the light begin to grow
Others soon will come to join you
Bringing candles of their own
As the light and the warmth start spreading
You'll no longer be alone

A ray of hope
Is only a shaft of light
And a ray of hope is all you need
Deep in your heart.
(Songwriter unknown).

It always amazes me, how far a tiny light will shine. Nothing we do is too small. While I am still not convinced that a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a tempest, I am sure that one smile or good deed can lead to another...

Have a GREAT day!
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14 comments:

Feijoa said...

That song is from a musical that we were in at... um... Morrinsville college? Or was it Morrinsville Primary? I remember being dressed as a monster, I think. Like a halloween thing or something. Tania, do you remember? Was it written by someone in town? Cause I can't find it online...

Kay said...

Intermediate prizegiving 1988 I think... but no, not written locally. Odd that it's not online though, I searched too.

pasticcino said...

Aaaah Mrs Eagles and singing at Intermediate :-)

So weird that so many people know it from school, and almost the only online reference is your own blog! I even asked W, they sang it at his school too.

I'd ask a kiwi school music teacher about it, I know you know at least one!

Silu said...

Hi there! I found your post when i was looking up lyrics to this song. I remember this song from primary school in NZ too and have been looking for the artist/title for ages. I guess no else else knows either. Thanks for posting =)

Anonymous said...

Wow I remember singing this at Remuera Intermediate and Stanhope Rd Primary both Auckland NZ schools ....sad that no writer can be found for this awesome song ....

Rachie said...

Hello, I also came accross your post when looking for that song. I went to Whakatane Intermediate and we sung it there. I had hoped to find it on youtube but i dont know what its called or who sung it. Any ideas?

Kay said...

Hi Rachie, no, we have hunted and hunted and can't find more than I have posted here. I think the best place to look is in the music departments of intermediate schools, but not being in NZ that isn't so easy for me.
Let me know if you find it, would love to know more about it.
Thanks for your comment.

Anonymous said...

We sang this at Carmel College. I'm sure it was at the end of every year. Doing the candle thing, passing the flame along. I found this blog like the others did trying to find that song on You Tube.

Jess said...

Another past pupil from an NZ school looking for the lyrics of this song! St leonards primary west auckland :)

Unknown said...

Yep, me too! 😊
Pomaria Primary, Henderson - West Auckland..

Wow.. It's amazing such a short song with an anonymous writer is so sort after.. Such a big impact!

My mum came to one of my assembly's when we sung this song. My sister was born 3 or 4 years later, 3.5 months early... She had many complications, and mum remembered this song. On my sisters rough days my mum would ask me to sing this song to my sister, and slowly she would start to come back to normal.. Mum quickly learnt the lyrics too..
Now days, if we do so much as humm th tune to this song, my sister cries and begs us to stop singing.. "I hate that song now!" Lol
She says it brings back too many bad memories.. 😧
Such a pretty song though. ☺️

Fern Campbell said...

Aww, I loved this song too. I did it at Otumoetai Intermediate or maybe Otumoetai College in Tauranga here :)

Anonymous said...

I remember this song from my primary school - manurewa central school in Auckland. I too have hunted for the lyrics for years and was starting to think that maybe I had dreamed the song. So glad to find I hadn't lol. Oh I wish we could find it. It is such a beautiful song. It is very strange that so many people seem to know it and yet it is not online anywhere.

Unknown said...

I don't know the song writer... but here's the rest of that song...


Every grain of sand's important, every leaf on every tree.
Take away each tiny fragment, and our wide world would cease to be.
When one day your light grows dimmer, and your candle's burning low.
From the flame you can light others, and your light will never die.

Unknown said...

Light a Candle is the finale song from the musical Valley of the Voodons. It is written by John Reynolds and Shade Smith.