Page 15 - Spirit_Summer2021

CHOIR REFLECTION:
BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER

By Annie Ruffino ‘21
Delivered at her final Cor Jesu Academy
choir concert in April 2021

“There’s nothing like the feeling of being exactly where you’re discovering brilliance
meant to be. Surrounded by a faith-filled community that
loves you and encourages you to embrace who you are.”
These are not only the words used in Cor Jesu’s newest rebranding
marketing video, but are, in fact, two concrete sentences that sum
up the essence of my experience here at Cor Jesu and, specifically,
in choir. Going into choir as a freshman at CJ, I wasn’t really sure
what to expect. In grade school, I participated in music class, was
involved in a few theater productions, but I never considered
myself a singer, much less that I would continue to take music
throughout my time in high school. I was surely wrong. This next
song we will sing shortly is entitled “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” It
very well encapsulates my experience here at Cor Jesu and in choir.
“When you’re weary, feeling small, when
tears are in your eyes, I’ll dry them all.”

I won’t be the first to tell you that I have felt weary and shed tears over
several things in the past four years, other than just having to wear a pirate
outfit as a freshman. Choir has not only been a class to me, but a family. When
I would walk into the choir room, all of my sadness from taking a biology test
was wiped away. Going back to our rebranding here at Cor Jesu, we now use
the words “Shine Bright. Be Brilliant.” to represent our school. But what does
being brilliant truly mean? Does it mean reciting the whole periodic table
or doing everything you can to get that 92.5 in the gradebook? Brilliance is
not restricted to intelligence and reciting information memorized. But then,
what is it? Throughout my four years here, I have learned the true definition
of brilliance. Maybe it’s simply saying "hi" to someone in the hallway, buying
a friend Starbucks, or mastering how to turn left out of CJ onto Gravois. It
is knowing how to learn and unlearn, and apply lessons to life. As the song
mentions, it is learning how to be a bridge over troubled water for others
around us. Take a moment to think of the bridges over troubled water in your
life. Maybe it’s a friend, a teacher, a parent, a grandparent, or even a random
stranger in passing. For me, my Mom has been my bridge over troubled
water to help me through a recent hardship in life. When you look down at
the surface of the water under the bridge, it may look calm, peaceful and
serene. However, we have no idea what may be going on under the water, it
may be troubled, dark and gloomy. It is our job to be a bridge over troubled
water for everyone around us, whether we may think they need it or not. This
is what Cor Jesu and being in choir has taught me. This is brilliance to me.

SUMMER 2021 Spirit Magazine 13