Absolutely Speechless...

I had posted maybe a week ago about what a difficult year its been...and it really has been difficult. I went deaf in one ear earlier this year, then later I lost wife, family, house, job, and had to sell all my instruments minus one guitar. Alas, that's just a recap and not at all what this is about.

Here's what this thread is really about...the next time I logged in after that post, I had received multiple offers to provide me with an ukulele. That alone touched my heart and left me shocked a bit...long story short, there was so much love in the community that they pulled together with UkeRepublic and purchased a very nice ukulele for me which arrived this morning in all its glory.

I'm a proud guy, and really a man's man, but as I picked it up and looked at it, I received a text from my daughter wishing me a merry christmas eve and that they all loved me and missed me...and I couldnt help but break down and even now have tears. It's a beautiful ukulele, a tenor pono mtd, complete with case, tuner, humidifier, extra strings and polishing cloth. It has a beautiful sound and I will treasure it forever.

It also received a card with the names of all those that gave toward this wonderful gift, and I would like to thank each and every one of you. Of the 17 that gave, I have only ever met one, and even that was ever so brief. Music means alot to all of us and touches our hearts in so many crucial ways...to be blessed by complete strangers with something so precious is beyond my abilities to articulate. I imagine we are all from various walks of life with varying faiths, beliefs, and values. Yet beyond all those things, there is still a fundamental element- maybe you would call it a human element, I would not...but regardless of how we categorize it, it remains as a deeper, higher and permeating truth that there is something greater in this life than the usual paradigm of "self". On the occasions that we encounter this fundamental element, our lives are laid bare and our mind's eyes seem to see everything differently as all the frivolity of life washes away in unimportance. There is a perspective that is gained, if even for just a moment, when life is reduced to its bare necessities, its basic elements. It's in that moment, that I find that the only thing that matters in this life is love.

For me, it's Christmas, and that means alot to me...but whatever this time of year is for you 17 beautiful strangers and the rest of the underground, I pray your time is full of love and peace. I thank you again from the bottom of my heart. Have a very Merry Christmas and God bless you, one and all.

May you make beautiful music and feel love.. This community is the best I have ever belonged to...
Merry Christmas to you.... I haven't felt the spirit much this year... and your story has lifted my spirits just a little bit..
I hope you find some joy today in all the loss you have suffered... and a great 2011 to you...
Looking forward to hearing you play that new ukulele!

Absolutely speechless indeed! I wasn't part of that gift, but let me part of the ongoing good wishes for you & your family even if this year has taken so much away from you. I've almost lost my wife three times (and maybe more) this year to disease & just brought her home from the hospital last night after the most recent bout, so I know how precious life is.

You are in my prayers, for real. I am one of those who does believe in a God of Mercy, Grace, & Love & this season & your recent gift is evidence of all of that.

Merry Christmas, brother & may God bless you richly now & in 2011.

Under the Mercy,

Glenn Fincher AKA "Gmoney"

Thanks for sharing. What a blessing. Here's wishing you a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful year to come.

Thanks so much for sharing.

Bruce in Adelaide

Wow! I just got zapped by the Spirit of Christmas!

Have a prosperous and happy Christmas and New Year. Thank you for sharing your blessing, and Thank you to those 17 wonderful folks who made this happen.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

jeff

IF I had known, I would have been happy to contribute or just send you a new ukulele myself. May God bring you peace and joy in the coming year and every day of your life from here onward.

UU is the very finest community of people I have had the pleasure of knowing. What a super group.

I'm glad to hear have gotten better for you...I would of gave you one of my ules too..if you ever need another uke let me know I'll be happy to give you one..melee kalikimaka!

Merry Christmas! I know that an ukulele can't erase any of the problems you've had to deal with this year, but I hope it'll help you deal with those problems to have some small things (and in the case of a loving daughter, a big thing) that make you happy. Here's hoping that 2011 brings you much joy.

My yes, what a wonderful heartfelt story and outpouring of love from our UU community. Of course, I think most of us would have contributed to such a wonderful cause had we known the story and effort to give such a gift. Given all the bad we hear of in the world through the different media, it is so refreshing and uplifting to hear of the goodness and compassion in people's hearts in times of need. It truly resounds the true meaning of Christmas with love and peace that should be in all our hearts. Enjoy your uke, and hopefully the wounds will heal and life will offer greater hope and joy this coming year!! Lozark

Thanks for sharing your story.
Positive proof that the Christmas spirit is alive and well and residing in UU (all year round apparently)

Hope you have a Happy Xmas and a better 2011.

I actually have tears in my eye reading that. Merry Christmas to you and everybody else

Aloha and Merry Christmas Cornfedgroove,
Nice Story and that is why I love the UU and all the members here.....May the 17 wonderful members who generously contributed be blessed many times around....sorry I was not aware of
your issues and heard about your collection too late....reading your post, I had tears come down.....that is truely what giving at Christmas is all about. I am glad you heard from your
daughter and you both are close.. and while I hope your problems get better, I am sure the ukulele will make you happy and filled with enjoyment..Have a Happy Holidays!....
May 2011 be a better year for you brother... MM Stan..

I think this is awesome! I may not contribute a lot around here, but I'm sure glad to be a part of this place. There are so many amazing people on this forum.

Feliz Navidad to you sir! I hope next year is much different for you. And you have a new Pono to start it with!

Have a Merry Merry Christmas Jon. Even though you have been through some tough times, you have managed to bring out what the true meaning of Christmas is in all of us. The spirit of giving. Good grief, I sound like Charlie Brown!

Enjoy your new uke.

Merry Christmas!

Now you can play Silent Night on the uke and feel the love and the spirit of the season a little easier. Keep that warm place in your heart from this experience to carry you through the day to day hard stuff that is part of human being, and let it help to melt the hard feelings. I've been through similar stuff, it's of this physical, material world and not the higher one. Ukes and music take me to that higher, peaceful place, where all is calm and all is bright. I hope you get to spend a lot of time in that place of love this weekend, and hold onto it through the new year and beyond.

Thank you for your wonderfully written, beautifully expressive and moving post. It made me cry and filled my heart. I read it to my husband through my tears and it made him cry too, in a very good way.

You gave every one here who reads this a most beautiful gift for Christmas! Thank you.

Ditto to what everyone else has written. They are much more elequent than I. Your post was beautiful and I am sure few dry eyes when they were done reading it. This is truly a loving generous group of people.

Merry Christmas with much hope and love for the year to come.
Roxhum

I would have been happy to contribute to that if I had known about it. I was actually part of a similar but smaller group who pitched in to get another UU member a nice uke for Christmas, so I am not at all surprised that this happened. It's just PART of what makes UU the best online community I have ever been part of. When you originally posted about your bad year, I commented that maybe someone in your area could loan you a uke. I was not in the least bit surprised to see the "Check your PMs" messages come rolling in. So, I guess in a small way, maybe I DID contribute, lol.
Merry Christmas to you, and I hope that 2011 is a better year for you.
Chris

Bless you Jon. Whenever I have gone through struggles, I know it has always been music that has got me through. And it helps to know that you are loved. I thank God for Christmas time, because through His gift of His Son, Jesus, we have been shown the greatest Love of all.



We'll be praying for you brother and hope that the coming year has great things in store for you, that your time in the valley will make way for some time on the mountaintop!

"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David,a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord" (Lk 2: 10-11)

... who says there's no Santa Claus?
Nice story. My faith in humankind just went up a notch from the rather low depths it has sunken to over the years. Thanks for sharing that.