If you wanna know about life, just find a small miracle!
Last month I interviewed my son, James Edward and got his perspective on the universe and his place in it. I asked him some pretty tough questions and what I got back was sometimes predictable and at other times suprising. Many of you are aware of my work through the years with children who have cancer. I have had such an amazing opportunity to be able to meet and capture so many children, but perhaps some of the most inspiring and difficult to shoot are these small miracles. Last fall, I offered to take on as part of the series of projects in my studios Art and Medicine collection, the Snowdrop Foundation and Texas Children’s Hospital.
I am a member of the Business Referral Network and this year’s bash benefits these organizations. I am pleased to present to you my second calendar benefiting cancer patients, resources and reseach. For the past 7 years I have dedicated part of my talent to giving back and making a difference in my community through the “Hope and Inspiration” Surviving mothers of breast cancer calendar. The latest project entitled “Small Miracles” pediatric cancer calendar has proceeds going to The Snowdrop Foundation and Texas Children’s Hospital.
When I began planning the project I knew it was going to be just like all the others and fall into place, what I did not expect was just how perfectly aligned everything would be. If I had any doubts, they were soon dispelled because at every step of planning and creating this I got confirmation or what you know I call “ a God wink!” It all started with the inital decision to take on such a project, whereas in the past I have always captured portraits of survivors… this would be a great deal more difficult; in that the participants woud be children, some of which were still receiving treatment and as it were not classified as a survivor “yet.” In addition, the calendar woud have to be completed by our Sugar Land Bash May 15th, not allowing me a full year to process and mentally flesh out the greatest impact such a project could have on our community. None the less… I apparently did not need much time to go through all of the usual tedious rigga ma roll!
In the process of pulling together the project, I was so touched by my own son’s answers to the interview that I wrote about last month that I decided it would be a wonderful idea to ask those same questions to these children. I had no idea what I would get; and while so many were so young to be able to understand what I was asking them, for those that did…whoa… well just get a tissue ready…I’m just saying!
Christian Alfonso at age 11, the cover of the 1st edition, when asked if he believed in heaven; at first looked at me like I was crazy to ask such a thing. He said: “ Heaven is a place that there is no sickness or pain, or distractions of any kind. There is nothing left to do but praise God!”
Morgan LaRue, age 9; when asked what she wanted to eat for breakfast, lunch and then dinner, while holding her teddy bear named Chocolate just smiled and said “chocolate.” When asked what heaven was like, she said “ there’s lots of clouds and stuff whizzing around and of course they eat lots of chocolate!”
Lexi Nichols at age 5 is a big horse riding, cattle roping gal and when I asked her what she was afraid of she giggled and said “nothing!” The interviews were taped as well and those will be presented at the Bash.
If I had not had the thought to do it I would have never done it but I had the idea and what an idea it was! So here I spent countless hours shooting and interviewing all these children and it dawned on me that I should write a song. Yes…. a song. I know… I know already what you’re thinking. Alisa Murray is not a song writer. And up until just a few weeks ago I would have agreed with you, but stuff fell into place and I just sat down and wrote it and my good friend, Rudy Rios, a member of a band 80 proof and Collateral Damage just happens to also be the videographer and one of my clients. He and I in about an hour put together the melody and viola… a song was born! Small Miracles will be performed by my daughter, Victoria Ann, Denise Rios, Crystal Laman, the children in the calendar and yours truly accompanied by the band 80 Proof and presented as well in Sugar Land Town Square at the Bash.
Then I had the issue of not having a place to record it and within minutes of asking I got the call that George Darsey, owner of Texas Music Marketing had offered to record it and mix it gratis! Can we say God Job?!
The children and I recorded the song and everyone was wearing my special hats designed and donated by my good friend Hanne Rickert of Fleurs et Bisoux! We all looked pretty snazzy and the hats, all done by hand drive the design of the Small Miracles calendar project each year!
So here’s the thing, on May 15th there’s a Bash put on by the Business Referral Network. The evening will have face painting and a cake eating contest and we are even raffling off a car! Around dusk I will present the interviews and rock video of me and the kiddos singing my new song Small Miracles along with the latest calendar entitled the same. The calendars and CD will be for sale, and all proceeds go to The Snowdrop Foundation and Texas Children’s Hospital. If you need a raffle ticket they are $15.00 and you can contact Brian Covalt @ 832-655-8836 for that.
I am excited about doing this and I think you will find the event to be a great evening in the Sugar Land Town Square for family and fellowship! I hope to see all of you there!
Take Care of You!
Also!!! Drop over to Amici restaurant anytime and from now on, because this is an ongoing project and will be available year round, and order the new signature Alisa Murray Small Miracles Martini. For every signature martini sold Bruce and Jeff at Amici will donate $5.00 to The Snowdrop Foundation! Gotta love combining drinking vodka for a great cause!
