The Second Iteration of Just Be

Master Trento with the master and the mentors all together. 

Please Watch this beautiful video made by Mike Grella!

During the terrible-horrible-no good-very bad 2014, Sifu had told me that his one wish for me was to JUST BE. Anyone who knows me well knows there is nothing I would ever do that is NOT on a grand scale and above and beyond. So I took that advice and took it to the extreme as I always do. At that time, I really needed it. I needed a pick me up and something to look forward to. I even literally called it the JUST BE BBQ. And it just happened that the reoccurring theme of the entire year and solution to every problem was to JUST BE! We even had an anthem for the year! #LetItGo

When I did the JUST BE BBQ, it was supposed to be a gathering of all the most important people of the Trento-verse. The all-star cast of ym life, if you will. Quite honestly it was the happiest I was all year in 2014 next to nationals. It was supposed to be a one time event.

Well little did I know. Everyone kept asking me to do it again. "You gotta do it again!" "When is the next Just Be BBQ?" "We're doing the BBQ again this year, right?" Over and over. Well 2015 was going so well and some major changes have been made through moves, changes, and deletions, so I decided why the hell not, let's celebrate it. I was also seeing a reoccurring theme that kept coming up: Support. And as much as support was brought up, so was loyalty. 

SO yes, we had once again the second iteration of the Just Be BBQ. And in my opinion, it was even better than last year, and I had even more fun. But I was also extremely grateful to be celebrating these wonderful people who are in my support system. And it is one of the VERY few times I can get all these areas of my life together in one place.

My family members from my brothers and my cousins were there, my students of old generations and new generations were there, dear friends of mine from my early training years, high school friends, many of my mentors and the master himself. God Bless Mike who took all the pictures and made a beautiful video above that has captured just about all the best moments. 

Some historical moments also occurred. Some of my newer students got to meet Sifu for the first time. It's the first time I've been able to get most of my mentors together. It was the first time Master Balon and Sifu met!! It was also a reunion of most of the Friars of Old! I drank, I was belated with happiness and gratitude.

The Friars of Old, my best and longest friends

Maria and I have been friends since the first grade! 

At one point I sat aside by myself and just took in everything at one time. I looked around. I was looking at Thomas, Nicole, Heather, Derek, Juneta, and Maria laughing. I saw Ann Marie talking with Charlene and Mary Ellen. I saw Old Mike and New Mike hanging with my brother Eric and cousin Matthew. I was watching Master Balon and Mrs. Balon with Master DeJesus and Mrs. DeJesus listening to Sifu and Simo tell a story. In that moment, the gratitude the flooded me was beyond words. I remember where I was a year ago at that time. And then I sat a few minutes more, just being....

One of my favorite moments was everyone was when everyone on their own account brought the chairs together and made a circle. We made a small bon fire in the center and everyone just intermingled and interacted together. I loved how when Sifu spoke everyone was gravitated to what he had to say. I loved how everyone laughed with each other. I loved how everyone was together to just be. My student Thomas Cubby took out his ukulele and began playing songs and we all sang. The one we ALL sang together was Let It Be which is why Mike chose it for the video the second half. 

During our little bon fire, out of no where these fire works began taking place right above us! We have no clue where they came from or who was shooting them up. While they were going off, Master Balon turned to me and said "Only at a Trento event would fireworks start going off! How fitting!" I smiled. That meant a lot to me for him to say. 

Yes, my world is pretty magical. I have some great participants in my world. These are people who love me the most and want to be in this awesome world. These are the people who will benefit the most in the only way our magic does work. I remembered how I love bringing people together and keeping them connected. As Jimmy Stewart said in It's a Wonderful Life, "No man is a failure who has friends." And I am DOUBLY blessed to have each one of these people who I love so much who I call FAMILY.

Yours in service,

MASTER A TRENTO