Of the series “When I’m Not Singing, I’m Conducting—and Singing with the Krakus Choir from Krakus Senior Center PSC”
This year’s Welcome to Autumn was very moving and unlike any other. Not only because we combined it with the celebration of the birthdays of seniors born in September or because we offered wishes to the couple celebrating their wedding anniversary, nor simply because we bid farewell to summer with longing in our hearts.
On this day, with the words of the beloved song “Kwiaty Polskie”, we said goodbye to Wiesia Balakowska, who passed away after a long illness, and to Jola, the daughter of our choir members, Alojzy and Mieczysław Jaksik, who received the news of her death just before the concert. We also said farewell to Ania Weber, who sang with our choir for a short time…
Dressed as Mother Nature in a beautiful, colorful costume, with butterflies in my hair and a large floral wreath on my head, referring to ancient Polish traditions, I recited a prayer together with the whole choir, and then we sang as beautifully as we possibly could. We sang through tears, with sadness in our hearts, but also with love—to wrap the hearts of those who came, and those who have lost their loved ones, in the warmth of our song.
Through our singing, we brought comfort and a spark of joy, reminding everyone that life must go on, even though the autumn leaves speak of departure.
In the song “Lato z ptakami odchodzi” we reminded everyone that although “the weary day slips away,” “the Angel lights the stars, illuminating the path of man,” even in the most difficult moments of life. Therefore, listening to the rustle of the leaves and “the voices of the departing birds,” which are like the voices of our loved ones who have gone, we should still rejoice in life and treat it as a gift from God and the universe—never wasting a moment, and being kind to ourselves and others.
I once heard a quote by Toni Sorenson: “Autumn is the season that teaches us how beautiful it can be to let things go.” So let us let go: let us release anger and turmoil that pull at our hearts, let us release sorrows and grievances that dwell within us. Let them fall like dead leaves, let them fly with the autumn wind and be covered by the white snow of forgiveness for hurts and scars. May winter and the coming Christmas season wrap us in the love of human hearts like a warm blanket.
