The great sports journalist Dick Schaap used to talk about how he “collected” friends. I feel the same way. Although shy until my early 20’s, I now love nothing more than getting to know people, their stories, and what makes them tick. I’ve been unusually fortunate to meet smart, creative, and dedicated people who work in academe, government, the nonprofit sector and the arts.
When my longtime friend Jana Beaty married the handsome and talented Chris Bright, I more than doubled my friendship with their family. Both are interesting, progressive, and passionate people with a head-spinning portfolio of vocations and avocations. Chris, a classically trained pianist, started daily offerings, via Facebook, as a way to process the pandemic. He posted the brief pieces to the adoration of his ever increasing fan base. A month or two ago, I had an idea, asking Chris if he might write a short piece for a special friend. Chris was unusually generous in his time and talents– You will find “Sarah’s Gift,” below.
The project has become so popular that Chris now “dropped” an album on Spotify and iTunes. I hope you enjoy this piece as much as I do. Thank you, Chris for sharing your time and talents with us all, during what has been a perfectly terrible year.
