BLESS and RELEASE

When I was on the ship I heard this phrase from a good friend of mine: "Bless and release."
We used it in situations where someone was getting on our nerves and all we could do was say a prayer for them despite how we felt, and let go and move on from the situation. It's definitely a phrase and practice I've picked up on.

This past week in Asuncion, Paraguay has been one of those Bless and Release kind of weeks...but not toward people, more toward situations:
Our PR schedule is an all day, up in the air kind of thing...
Our venue has no AC and and it's about 95 degrees onstage...
Our hotel bathroom floods and we have to switch rooms...
Our venue is full of mosquitos that apparently love my knees...
Our set and curtain cues are off because we don't have any local crew members...
...BLESS and RELEASE

Although it has been a trying week for my stamina and my patience, I feel more blessed than ever to be a part of DL6. It turns out that Mickey's Music Festival is the first children's show to ever come to Paraguay! Which also means that we are the first Disney Live show to come to Paraguay! The audience was nearly sold out every show and the crowd was constantly cheering with excitement over every character and dance number! I have never experienced that reaction from an audience in all of my years of performing. There was an incredible ROAR after the final pose of each song and it only got stronger throughout the show. By the finale it seemed everyone was on their feet dancing with us and the front of the house was packed with children waving at us and calling the characters' names. Even the magic carpet got a roar!!! I have never felt so loved and appreciated while on stage like that before...and when you feel that love, it makes you want to give 10 times more despite hot much energy you are exhausting or how much hydration you are losing as you sweat.  I will admit there were tears in my eyes after every number, and after the finale...forget it. Too good.

So at the end of the day, I was the one who was BLESSED and all of my frustrations were completely RELEASED on that stage.

Every inch of the stadium was filled along with the space in front of the chairs!

THINGS THAT REMIND ME OF HOW LUCKY WE ARE:
Families washing car windows for tips.
Children drinking the soapy water from said car washing buckets.
Neighborhoods with security on every block and fences with barbed wire to prevent theft.
Guards with guns inside of banks.
Schools without air conditioning.
The slums of Buenos Aires.
Men walking around without shoes.
Jugglers performing at red lights for tips.
People selling socks on the street.
Vendors outside of our shows blowing up hundreds of Disney character balloons to sell.