There is nothing more special as a parent than getting to watch hard work and effort get turned in success. Some parents find it in the sports exploits of their children. Some find it in the academic success in a report card. Some find it in the fine arts. Wherever that success is found it is special and is to be remembered.

It is also all too rare now to find a group of people just enjoying themselves and each other. Whether it is the bustle of every day life or the need to get one last project, one last accomplishment completed, no one just takes a break.

You miss special moments when you don’t enjoy them.

On Monday night the gymnasium at the Brunswick Junior High School was packed with parents, grandparents and more than a few tired brothers and sisters, who waited to see their young musicians. The Winter Concert lasted about fifty minutes, but it showcased the best and the brightest that Brunswick had to offer.

The musicians filed in with their black shirts all neatly arranged. Being that it was a combined choral concert and band concert there were dozens of performers moving around the floor. For someone who has seen concerts in this same venue for more than thirty years, the setting may not have changed much but the performers seemed so much younger.

The concert began with a sad nod to the times we live in. Astute young men and women reminded us all that we should refrain from talking during the performance and that we should silence our electronic devices. Apparently while social media may be some form of media, it has not made us any more social. Looking around the room there were more than a few people who seemed to be a little embarrassed to have to be reminded that turning off their ringer was a good idea.

The 6th grade chorus started the program. You could see the nervousness and the trepidation on their little faces, but as the first song turned into the second there was a sense of accomplishment. The songs were sung with more than a little emphasis. The singers got into the songs.

By the time the chorus started the Randy Newman classic, “You’ve Got a Friend in Me”, the precise lines of singers became muddled. Groups of twos and threes and fours broke out with arms draped over each other’s shoulders. Friends singing to each other as if they had been doing this all along.

The band portion of the concert started with a flourish and only got better. The musicians all played with passion and a deep concentration. For some, who have only been playing their instruments for months, their sense of accomplishment showed across their faces. With the final note of the evening came a big sigh and a little relief. Their first concert was in the books and was a success.

For fifty short minutes there was no arguing. There was no bullying. There was no problem. It was just kids and their parents and loved ones enjoying themselves. At this time of year there is nothing more special than that.

The focus was where it needed to be. The focus was on the performers and all of their hard work. Monday night was one of those moments where you could just kick back, enjoy some hard work and rejoice in all the best things that we have.

For Patrick, Jaden, Wes, Anthony, Madelyn and all of the other young performers in the 6th Grade Concert, congratulations on a job well done and for giving all of us an excuse to unplug and unwind if even for a little while. We cannot wait for the next concert.

That’s my two cents…

Jonathan Crimmins can be reached at j_ [email protected]