When I was a kid Harry Belafonte appeared on The Muppets and brought to living rooms across the country “Turn the World Around.”

It has great percussion, fun lyrics and is very upbeat.  It had been years since I heard it.

So how awesome it was today when Sam and his schoolmates — ages six to eighteen — became a powerful force as in unison and accompanied by some fabulous drums they belted out Mr. Belafonte’s spiritual song.

Surrounding their parents, teachers and grandparents the kids danced and swayed in the crowded gym and sang:

Heart is of the river

Body is the mountain

Spirit is the sunlight

Turn the world around

We are of the spirit

Truly of the spirit

Only can the spirit

Turn the World Around

What a great way to kick-start my day.  Even better that my dad and Joan traveled from far away to support Sam.  And that I was able to achieve my goal and make it to this important day at Sam’s school.

An added surprise came later in the day when the hospital’s music therapist popped into Nate’s room as Sam, Dad, Joan and I were visiting.  She comes once a week and always boosts Nate’s spirits.

“Want to play some music?”  she asked.

Before we knew it, the energetic young woman ran to her cart outside Nate’s room and started retrieving instrument after instrument.  And in Room 42 at around three o’clock this afternoon with the sunlight pouring in we had our own world music concert.

Sam on ukulele and Hapi drum; Dad on rainstick; Joan on xylophone; Nate on maracas; and well I had the wave tambourine.

And as it was in the morning, there were plenty of smiles filling the room as we joined each other in song.