Dear Jonilistas, Sorry I am late getting my post of thanks and gratitude to Ashara for putting Jonifest together and to the JMDL, who are the most loving, kind people I have ever met in my life.
When I arrived at 5 am Saturday morning, the first person I met was Michael Paz. Something really weird started happening from that moment on. As soon as I recognized the name, I went into hug-mode. It was like finding a long lost brother. This continued up until I left Sunday afternoon. I would see the person's name, have a flashback of a post or two, and then proceed to break into a hug. It was soooo wonderful meeting people I have known for years as well as those who were new to the list. I cannot begin to express the joy and rush of feelings I have thinking about that weekend. The resort was excellent and the location is one of the most beautiful I have ever seen. It was perfect. Kudos to you Ashara for putting together such a wonderful event. I attended the very first Jonifest in Pittsburgh, and while that will always be a special memory in my heart, it is so wonderful to see how much it has grown and matured. It was unbelievable. I cannot tell you how much I enjoyed each and every performance I was blessed to witness Saturday night. My deepest of regrets is that I was not able to see Friday or Sunday night's performances. I feel I have missed out on so much. Every single performer did an absolutely fantastic job. For those of you who were not there, it was like sitting front row center of a Joni concert. It was the same joy and elation. I was moved to tears as well as to laughter and joy throughout the night. It's hard to put into words how I feel about it, I was so moved. Please know that if you got on that stage Saturday night, you had my undivided attention and respect. You touched my soul beyond words. I also am eternally grateful for the great musicians who backed me up on my set, Paz, Chris and Chuck E. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I want to deeply apologize for not being able to spend more time during the day with everyone. Rob and I had just suffered a deep emotional devastation the day we left for Oliviera. It was very hard to get up on stage Saturday night to perform, but I knew I had to do it for my beautiful friends. Things took their toll on me physically, so I had to take some time to rest. Extreme stress plays havoc with diabetes or any chronic illness. But I HAD to hang out for the circle! What a blast! What a blast! I grabbed a conga and got lost in it! It was a dream come true! For anyone not sure about attending a Jonifest, let your fears rest. It was an incredible weekend of love and music. Going to a Jonifest is like coming home. We are family in the truest sense of the word. Thanks to everyone for being so kind to my husband, Rob and for making us feel so special. There is so much talent in this group that I am dumbfounded and astonished as well as in reverence and awe of it! Wow! Wow! Wow! I really have to find the words to express how I feel, but for now, I just want to let everyone I met there that my life is forever enriched by this experience! Love, kisses, hugs and more hugs, Sherelle
