And you thought Bugs Bunny was a great conductor...

Be sure to watch this one right through to the end, folks... because this is the best final movement of a Beethoven symphony that I've ever seen.

When Child Number One was a tiny baby, my mother arranged for me to get out of the house for a few hours, and gave me the gift of a ticket to the theatre, and a BABYSITTER. Now, being a new mother, the very idea of leaving my firstborn in the care of anyone other than myself was enough to provoke paroxysms of guilt, and a panic attack so intense that it caused me to initially reject the offer. The babysitter wasn't even FAMILY, for crying out loud-- what on earth could possibly qualify her for the job?

I'll never forget my mother's response to my distress. She patted me down, and in her best psychiatric nurse's voice, soothed me with the assurance:

"It will be all right, dear. This teenage girl is perfect.

SHE'S MUSICAL."

Not "Red Cross Certified". Not even Mary Poppins, herself. "SHE'S MUSICAL" was the highest recommendation that my mother could give to another human being.

So, I went to the play. (And Baby Number One survived the ordeal. Quite nicely.)

My mother sent me this little video to cheer me up last week, when I was down with bronchitis and a nasty ear infection. Obviously, because Beethoven has healing qualities, didn't you know that??

But, above all else, it was because of the child featured in the video. We have no idea who he is, but I've got a sneakin' suspicion he's been watching someone else conduct this piece... his "moves" are simply wonderful-- not so much for the fact that he manages to stay just a breath ahead of the music (even when he gets the sniffles, which I can relate to), or even the fact that he appears to "address" his entire imaginary orchestra, in the general direction where each of the instruments would have been seated.

Above all else, we love this video because this kid is

Musical-with-a-capital-M.

And what's more, he's got a sense of HUMOUR about it.

And that? Is probably the most important human quality of all.

Oh, little boy, whoever you are... your pure joy and laughter is the very best medicine.