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Reuters/Ag O Globo/Genilson Araujo

I just read an article about the fire that is overtaking an area of Rio De Janeiro today.

Thousands of people have spent the last year preparing for their annual Carnival and are now watching their dreams go up in flames.

Tears, questions, fear, disappointment, defeat, agony……

They’re feeling it all today as millions of dollars and hundreds of hours of their lives seem wasted.

But as I read the article, I was struck by the ending quote of Roberto Szaniecki, the theme developer for Portela group as he hugged friends.

“I’ve cried a lot over this, and now it’s time to think about what can be saved,”  “But I want to make this clear: we’re going to get out there. We’ve got a Carnival to put on.”

Grande Rio also lost much of its infrastructure: workshop machinery, the metal structure of the floats and computers. But the group will make an appearance, in spite of the blow, he said.

“There are a lot of people who spend the year dreaming and working for this, for their moment to go out there and shine,” he said. “You can’t take that away from them. The material things are gone, but we still have a samba to sing.”

 

As I read those closing words, I had to smile.

Roberto gets it.

Material things come and go.

The song we have in our hearts is always there to sing.

So when our dreams seem to go up in smoke, they really don’t……

Thank you, Lord, for the gift of music!

You keep us singing even through our tears!