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It’s All Good News
By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2011
The Face of America Project
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD
Everyone has inside of him a piece of good news. Anne Frank
A Week of Good News
This has been a week of very good news. Kitch’s chemotherapy session was one we will never forget. It started early in the morning, and it  went flawlessly. Shortly after the session began, we were reunited with the woman who I mentioned in our last newsletter. She needed help, and this week she greeted us with a broad grin on her face as she told us she made the connections that will enable her to get to her other medical appointments. Then, she said something that made me feel ten feet tall: “You are my guardian angel.” If only our friend Stephen Post could have been there to hear those words. They affirm the thesis of his bestselling book, The Hidden Gifts of Helping.
About three hours into Kitch’s treatment, our dear friend, Dr. Richard Loomis, approached Kitch to extend a personal greeting. That was the beginning a wonderful moment of connection that extended beyond our section of the clinic, and it included two women who were located less than 20 feet away. The hum of the Baxter infusion pumps  and the muffled sounds of the television sets were no match for the sweet sounds of pleasant conversation and joyful laughter. Dr. Loomis brings out the best in everyone he meets. He is a man with a brilliant mind and the gift of storytelling. He brought a human quality to this place of apprehension and fear.
For Kitch, the best moment of this session was recorded in the picture. As the nurse was disconnecting the IV, Kitch raised her finger to tell the world she has but one more chemo treatment.
Hallelujah!
Flight of Valor
Some of the most priceless memories of our Face of America journey are deeply rooted in the high school in North Plainfield, New Jersey. This is the place where Kitch and I first discovered the Face of America’s tomorrow today. It happened again this week when I visited the high school to interview students for a documentary we will screen in Shanksville later this year.
The visit was suggested by Tom Mazur, Supervisor of Fine, Practical and Performing Arts. Tom invited me to attend the spring concert. When I was told the concert band under the direction of Heather Fencik would play Flight of Valor, James Swearingen’s inspirational composition dedicated to the Heroes of Flight 93, I requested permission to record the event.
As has always been the case, everyone at the high school who was involved in arranging my visit did what had to be done to create a welcoming environment.
Prior to the concert I interviewed four students and one teacher from North Plainfield, and a mother and her daughter from Point Pleasant, New Jersey.
 When the appointed moment arrived, I was located high above the stage in a control room where I could get a good shot of the performance and audio to match.
The students performed Flight of Valor with dignity and class. Their performance had all of the emotion, intensity and inspiration associated with this very special composition. Without question, Flight of Valor was the high point of the concert.
You can watch our production of Flight of Valor at this address:
http://faceofamericawps.com/video/flight-of-valor/
The Back Story
A few moments before the concert began, I read an interesting comment in the program. It told everyone in attendance that the composer of Flight of Valor drew upon a well-known hymn, It Is Well with My Soul. That piqued my curiosity, and I made a mental note to check out the back story to the music.
 On my way home, I thought about the back story, and as soon as I reached a computer I began my search for information about It Is Well with My Soul.What I discovered is heart wrenching and inspirational.
Horatio G. Spafford, Jr., was a prominent Chicago lawyer. He and his wife, Anna, were the parents of four girls: Annie, Maggie, Bessie and Tanetta. In 1870, their only son was killed by Scarlett Fever. In 1871, they lost all of their real estate properties in the Chicago fire. In 1873, they lost their four daughters in an accident at sea.
Spafford learned about the tragedy in a telegram from his wife. It read” “Saved alone. What Shall I do?
After the telegram arrived, Spafford left for England to join his wife. He wrote the lyrics for It Is Well with My Soul shortly after the ship that was taking him to England passed the spot where the accident occurred. The opening stanza summarizes his feelings  and speaks to his great faith:
When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Many believe It Is Well with My Soul is one of the most comforting Christian hymns. It speaks to faith and hope in the face of unimaginable pain and sorrow. It is the perfect model for Flight of Valor which celebrates the courage, determination, heroism and patriotism of the passengers and crew of United Flight 93. On May 17, the North Plainfield Concert Band captured all of the emotions expressed in Spafford’s hymn and Swearingen’s composition. It was an extraordinary Face of America moment.
Saying Good Bye to a Friend
 Dr. Jean Emilcar was the anesthesiologist during my open heart surgery in June 2007. He was very helpful during the production of our Heart Scene series, and he has stayed in touch by e-mail. Last week Dr. Emilcar wrote to say good bye, and to invite Kitch and me to dinner. He has accepted a new position in Orlando. He will specialize in anesthesiology for heart procedures. 
In our opinion, Dr. Emilcar combines the best in competent, kind and compassionate care. He is a physician who has built his practice and his reputation on a foundation of dedication, Integrity and compassion. His life story is an excellent example of the Face of America on its best day.
You can watch his episode of our Heart Scene Journey, Deep Sleep, at this address.
http://www.windsorparktheater.com/index.php?option=com_hwdvideoshare&task=viewvideo&Itemid=27&video_id=69
A Teacher’s Dream
The unstated goal of a teacher is to help the student equal and surpass the teacher. This week, Kitch and I received evidence of that. It  came in the form of a telephone call from D. J. Pizzani. D.J. was an outstanding member of our last class. After his college graduation, he and his parents became dear and trusted friends. They are a central part of everything we do here in Windsor Park and on the road in Shanksville. This month, D.J. graduated from Rutgers University with a Masters degree in Public Administration.
One of the things we tried to teach everyone we taught is the power of gratitude. The class was titled; The Power of Saying Thank You. DJ got it.
This week, DJ Called to share his good news and to say thank you. It came in the form of a recorded message on our answering machine. He graduated with honors, and a perfect grade point average of 4.0.
A 41-word paragraph touched our hearts in a very special way: “I just wanted to let you know that you guys were a good part of that. A lot of the lessons I learned in undergraduate school I took with me to graduate school, and I was thinking about you on that day.”
 It’s not the first time D J expressed his gratitude in a thoughtful way. This is an excerpt from a letter he sent to Kitch and me many years ago: “I just wanted to thank you. You may or may not hear it often enough, but I want to let you know that your work is not in vain and that you have made the difference in at least one student's life this year.”
I can’t think of a student who Kitch and I pushed harder than D.J. Whatever the assignment or the request, he exceeded our expectations. We are very happy for this fine young man and his parents. Without question, this was the most joyful moment of the week.
Thank you, D.J. Pizzani.
The First Rose of Summer
I have been spending a good deal of time getting Windsor Park ready for visitors. I love to work in the quiet of the garden where I can get  close to the earth and connect with the sights and sounds of nature. Don’t get me wrong; as I get older the garden seems to get bigger. There are days when I wonder if I will get the garden cleaned up before our granddaughter arrives for Windsor Park Camp. That being said, there is always something around the corner that lifts my spirits and keeps me moving forward. This week it was the glorious arrival of the first rose of summer.
It’s been a week of good news, pleasant moments and inspirational discoveries. As our friend Julie Marvel would say, “It’s all good.” As Jack Rushton would say: "It's good to be alive."
Until the next time, we hope that all of your stories have happy endings.
Tony & Kitch Mussari
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