Jon Batiste, the renowned jazz musician, was featured on the CBS show “Sunday Morning” yesterday. His story was spellbinding. Surpassed only by the magic of his music.

He closed a twenty minute interview saying simply, “Strap In.”

These two words beaconed the depth of his challenges despite his great fame. The emotional wounds he and his wife Suleika had experienced … are still experiencing today … somehow opened an intense feeling, a creativity and spirituality in them both. Driven in large part by how Batiste and his wife (suffering cancer) chose to frame their lives. Center their hearts. In positivity. Amidst the sadness. Sound a little “pollyannish?” Well, this seemed to work for them.

Suleika battling cancer …ultimately celebrated her remission with Jon. The illness came raging back two years later? But they pushed forward. No victimization. No anger. Just courageously choosing to find threads of silver lining amidst the pain and anguish, fear of her disease.

I’ll paraphrase, try to capture the spirit of the last minute or so of the “Sunday Morning” segment.

As Batiste sat at a piano, he tried to recall, retell the experience he and his wife had gone through.

“Unexpectedly we found gifts amidst the anguish. Somehow I was able to channel my anxiety into my art. My music. This released a ‘wellspring’ of creativity in me.

A depth of feeling I’d not ever embraced before.”

Jon then went to the piano keys and played a brief magical melody that seemed to mesmerize the interviewer.

Immediately, even through the TV … I was able to join Jon in the depth of his feeling. On Sunday evening at the Grammy Awards Jon won the most revered honor bestowed on a musician … “Album of the Year.”
Amazing.

Finally this …

“The anxieties and the joys. We all are given plentiful servings of both. How we blend or separate them is personal choice. Suleika and I chose to find the joys amidst our anxieties. Separate the two. Try to absorb in our hearts … all the joys. Not denying the anguish. Just making a choice to live in joy.”

“Regardless of what one chooses to do? There is really only one choice …

Prepare … pray and Strap In. It’s going to be quite a ride.”