There is no set age in which to appreciate great music. We see this truth in the story of baby Abriel. Captured in this video, we see Abriel discovering Andrea Bocelli through his favorite cartoon character, Elmo.
We see that simply seeing Elmo brings Abriel joy. After all, one delights in their favorite characters! He’s ready to follow Elmo on an adventure, and excited for it to begin. However, when Elmo begins to sing a piece of classical music, Abriel’s eyes well up with tears. He is carried away on a different adventure by a voice that has captured the hearts of thousands.
As we watch the child’s range of emotions be carried away by the song, we are shown the beautiful state of being human. Sometimes we must laugh; sometimes, we must cry. There is a true feeling when we do both. Abriel’s reaction to Elmo is one of emotion: powerful and unashamed, the kind we tend to restrict as we grow up. We are embarrassed to show how we feel, refusing to cry, even if a piece of art is seeping through to the depths of our souls.
Abriel’s reaction to the music is pure. He does not yet feel embarrassment to have his tears known. Simply enough, he has been captured by a song, and it is revealing truths to him in the way songs can do. When we learn to find delight in the small, ordinary things, we will know the secret to making it through the most complicated chapters of life. Ironically, it’s a lesson learned while young.
During such troubled times, we are finding release in art. How many times have we stopped to let the music heal us, rather than obsessing over solving a problem? A child learns to sing before he learns to talk, and perhaps we must learn to feel before we are able to think.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.