It’s not too often that a photograph of my wife and her best friend will capture them with such grave expressions of their faces – but the reason Kathy Berg and Kate Potter-Barrow are looking so serious here is that they are in a courtroom in the Racine County Courthouse, waiting for the start of the ceremony in which our good friend from church Lisa Neubauer would be sworn in by Governor Jim Doyle as a Court of Appeals judge. It’s really amazing how intimidating a room like that can be, as though X-ray beams are emanating from the walls, revealing to the world every wrongdoing you’ve ever committed. (I had to mightily resist the urge to leap to my feet at one point and cry out “Yes! Yes! I admit it! I snuck a camera AND a tape recorder in the MIlwaukee Florentine’s opening night Salome ! And you know what?!?!? I’m GLAD I did it !” Fortunately, Perry Mason wasn’t there grilling me, and I was able to keep a lid on it.
Seriously, it was almost surreal to be in that place for such an important occasion- and especially to be seated up front, as though we were members of the jury. We were present because Lisa asked Caritas to sing for the ceremony; music is not a typical part of the proceedings, but she was adamant and we were thrilled and honored to be asked. And it was kind of cool to be seated two rows behind Governor Jim Doyle, and to be sitting across from a lineup of a dozen or so judges who were present to honor Lisa. And in the audience / gallery / whatever you call it was a standing-room-only crowd of well-wishers and admirers. To be part of all this was nothing short of a thrill. And I’m happy to report that we sang our song very well, especially given the rather intimidating circumstances. The original plan, actually, was for us to sing while the robe and the gavel were presented to Lisa by her family- but as we started to sing, Lisa and her husband Jeff apparently decided on the spot that they didn’t want to interrupt the song or distract anyone from our performance. So for about four minutes, all that was happening in that courtroom was the singing of Amazing Grace. . . as though everyone and everything was pausing – bowing down – giving way – to God’s amazing grace. It was SO cool. And I’m just glad that we didn’t get all weepy, because that’s never conducive to good singing. (I was choked up for most of the ceremony- in fact, I had tears running down my cheeks from the start, as the Racine County Sheriff banged the gavel and called for “good order and all seriousness in these proceedings.” Apparently it does not take much to get me sniffling and weeping. But all three of us were in good shape for Amazing Grace, which was a miracle in and of itself. And we had people say afterwards that it was SO nice to have a bit of music in the midst of this ceremony which otherwise would have been nothing but spoken word. And believe me, there was all kinds of eloquence in this ceremony, wtih the Governor, the County Executive, one of Lisa’s law partners, Judge Emily Mueller (a friend of ours from the RTG, who welcomed everyone) – and Lisa herself – all speaking so beautifully and sincerely. But there is just something about music – and especially about a piece of music as powerful and moving as Amazing Grace – that transcends the words we write or speak. And I suppose I believed that before yesterday, but I’m not sure I ever had it demonstrated so clearly and powerfully as it was in that courtroom.
One really neat thing – among many – was that Lisa in her remarks thanked all of the distinguished people there – and all of her family – AND she thanked Kathy and me and Kate and Jeff (who gave a lovely invocation) by name, thanking us also for being a part of her life and for making such a powerful difference in her life with our caring and our music. I for one did not see that coming – and I’m glad that we didn’t have to get up in the next moment and sing.
Another neat thing was that right in the middle of the courtroom was a row of five chairs in which sat Lisa and Jeff and their three children – Greta, Katherine and Sam. The joy on their faces – the pride – the love – was so powerful and it just filled that room. For as cool as it was to be with the Governor and a jury box full of judges and all kinds of well connected officials, this is what was more important than anyone or anything. Lisa is first and foremost a wonderful wife and mother – and oh yeah, she is also a Court of Appeals Judge. And our friend.