Never Say Never

So many of you know by now that my daughter and I went to a Justin Bieber concert on Tuesday night. My daughter is a huge fan and I wanted to do something special for her, so we made a date and went.

We got there a little before the concert began and all I saw was thousands of smiley tween girls and cute little girls hurriedly going to their seats. There were 3 opening acts, and by 8:45pm, Justin Bieber walked on stage. Scream after scream. “Justin we love you” being chanted. It was so cute and so amazing to witness. Much to my surprise, he is a very talented and adorable boy. I learned that evening, that he taught himself how to play the guitar, the piano and the drums. I did not expect to enjoy the concert as much as I did.

During the concert, clips of his life were being shown on the big screen. Pictures of him, as a baby, as a toddler, and as a growing boy. Besides the fact that he was a blonde cutie pie, he was always in some kind of activity. It seems like he was actively involved in many hobbies and sports. At one point during the evening he was speaking to the audience. He was introducing the trailer of his new movie. He said to us that there were many haters, and there were many people who didn’t believe in him. They thought he would fail and that he never would have made it. Then he said, “I guess they were wrong.” The crowd went wild and we watched the clip.

When I got home, I went to bed, my ears were ringing but my face had a huge smile. The next morning I was curious to know a little bit more about the Biebster, so I did what any modern girl would do, I wikipedia’d him. I learned that he was born in London, Ontario. I learned that his mother had him when she was 18, and that she raised him on her own. I learned that he got discovered at the ripe young age of 14. Wow! This boy has accomplished popularity beyond anyone’s dreams. He has 4 AMA awards, something artists dream of for years. It took him 2 years.

I felt proud for him. When I was reading his biography it made me realize something. I appreciated the fact that anyone can become anything. He is a small boy, from a small town, in Canada. He is now a house hold name in over 30 countries in the world!

I feel excited. How amazing is the fact that anyone can become anything, when they want to be? How exciting is it that I can tell my children; with effort, determination, and true love, you can achieve the unimaginable. Life is really an open opportunity for all. There is no limit or boundaries that can stop anyone. Stories like this are a true inspiration to the young kids that don’t believe in the mere thought of “believe to receive.”

Imagine if everyone stopped trying for something if they failed? Imagine if we taught our children that they can never become something huge, if they want to be. Imagine if Justin Bieber’s mother told him that he would never be able to be a huge phenomenon? Imagine if she told him when he was younger, that he would never be able to sell out a show at Toronto’s ACC?

Imagine if she told him that even if he practiced, and practiced, and practiced, he still wouldn’t make it? Then she never would have known that her son would be the next big star. She never would have known what it feels like to witness her son accepting an award at the AMA’s. She told all those people that didn’t believe he wouldn’t make it, “Never say Never” because she knew in heart, that never comes faster than you think when you don’t stop trying.
That’s my peace today!

Mushroom with goat cheese melba toasts
2 cups shitake mushrooms
2 tbsp white wine
2 cloves crushed garlic
2 tbsp chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 package goat cheese
appetizer size melba toasts
4 tbsp olive oil
optional - 1/4 toasted pecans

In a pan, heat oil, add garlic and wine. Add mushrooms salt and pepper and parsley. Remove from heat once cooked (about 5 minutes) Drain and liquid. Arrange the toasts, evenly place the cooked mushroom mixture and top with crumbled goat cheese. Optional -Add a tasted pecan to each