February 10, 2020  Worldwide deaths from the 2019 Novel Coronavirus reach 1,013.

February 13, 2020  CDC confirms the 15th case of COVID-19 in the U.S.

March 3, 2020  CDC reports 60 cases of COVID-19 across America.

March 11, 2020  After more than 118,000 cases in 114 countries and 4,291 deaths, the WHO declares COVID-19 a pandemic.

March 12, 2020  Actor Tom Hanks says he and his wife, actress Rita Wilson, have been diagnosed with coronavirus while in Australia.

Do you remember when that news hit about Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson? It was as if, “Oh my gosh, if America’s favorite uncle Tom Hanks can get Covid, then no one is safe!”

Tom Hanks is certainly the more famous of the happily married couple. Forrest Gump, anyone? He’s the voice of Woody in the four Toy Story movies. Hanks was awesome in the role of pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Who else might we have trusted to play Mr. Rogers in the 2019 movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood? And for the first time, he plays the “villain” (of sorts) in the 2022 movie Elvis.

Hanks’ wife Rita Wilson is a skilled performer in her own right, but never accomplished the recognition of a major motion picture star. But she reached her own niche of success in producing and is now recognized as one of the most acclaimed independent producers around.

In the mid-2000s Wilson asked herself the introspective question: What do I want? She already had a lovely life, and yet when she was brave enough to answer that question, the answer came quickly: SING. Yes, she wanted to sing. So she did.

In the summer of 2006 she was cast as Roxie Hart in the Broadway revival of the musical Chicago. She found that singing was what brought her true joy so she branched out and recorded music, and she is now also a songwriter.

In a portion of her TED talk she says, “So many people never ask themselves what they want. Maybe it’s because they think they have everything already or because they’re afraid it’s too late. But if we don’t ask ourselves what we want, there’s no way we’ll ever know if our dreams are possible or what it would take to achieve them.”

Is she the greatest singer of all time? No. But I like the sound of her voice. It’s an easy-to-listen-to voice. Her timbre reminds me of another singer named Rita who was also married to a more famous husband: Rita Coolidge (formerly married to actor and musician Kris Kristofferson)

I’ve linked Wilson’s TED talk and her duet with Jackson Browne below so that you may judge for yourselves. But I appreciate her speculation on what might happen if we ask ourselves, “What do I want?” It may not be something impressive and grand. It may not be another career! But it may provide clarity for us to claim whatever it is.

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Rita Wilson and Jackson Browne singing “Let It Be Me”

Rita’s TED talk

Rita Coolidge music