As the storm rolled in, Robert debated what to do next.
It was all over the news. A winter storm of historic proportions slamming into the Pacific Northwest. The region would be covered with snow.
Robert and his NYC colleagues were scheduled to fly into Seattle to teach a Musical Theater Workshop. 50 kids signed up to attend. The kids were so excited to get singing and acting lessons, learn Broadway choreography, and meet performers from their favorite shows. They’d been looking forward to this workshop for months.
But with the storm coming, Robert faced a difficult decision.
Should he cancel the workshop? Or show up and do it?
He considered all the factors. Flight delays. Road closures. Safety. What his team needed. What the kids needed.
He decided, “The show must go on.”
Transporting himself plus 10 colleagues to Seattle took an enormous amount
of logistical maneuvering—and came with a steep cost.
Robert booked back-up flights, just in case the original flights got canceled. Rented extra cars to transport everyone safely. Juggled 100 balls in the air to pull it off.
He stepped out on faith and told his team, “We just need to show up. The rest, we can figure out when we get
there.”
On the morning of the workshop, the snow was thick on the ground. The city was silent. The streets were empty.
Robert’s stomach twisted with anxiety and he wondered if anybody would actually show up for class in this weather. Maybe nobody would come. Maybe all 50 families would ask for a refund. Maybe coming all this way had been a
mistake…
He and his team arrived early and began preparing for the day. Setting up the registration table. Laying out t-shirts for the kids.
A few minutes before the workshop was scheduled to begin, Robert huddled with his team in a circle, took three deep breaths, and said a prayer:
“If we touch just one life today, it is enough.”
It was time to let people inside. He turned the knob. Would anyone be on the other side of the door? He braced himself, expecting to see one or two kids or maybe none at all...
50 kids and their parents were waiting outside, bundled up in their winter coats,
beaming, and ready to get to work.
Robert's body flooded with gratitude and relief. They came!
The students came in from the cold and poured into the studio. Everyone was so grateful to be in the room. It was a magical day—one of the most special workshops that he ever taught.
“We made a choice to make it happen and trust the people would show up,” Robert says.
This was 2019. None of us knew it yet, but Covid was coming. Soon, schools, dance studios, and theaters would be closed. This workshop, on that snowy day, would be one of the last times that these kids had the opportunity to sing, dance, act, gather together, and hug their friends for a long time. What a gift
that they got to do this before the world closed down.
Robert could have canceled. Instead, he showed up to meet the moment, trusting that the Universe would show up for him, too.
“Exactly what we need, and who needs us, will always be on the other side of the door if we keep showing up and letting them in,” Robert says.
“I'm gonna keep showing up to the door.”
