Lullaby
A restful, peaceful interlude
When was the last time someone sang YOU a lullaby?
“Lullaby” appears frequently on lists of most beautiful words in the English language. I agree completely. But it’s not just the mellifluous sound of the syllables; “lullaby” conjures up a whole (different, better, gentler, kinder) world. The world we pray our children will inhabit someday. A world where every child is loved and cherished, and every parent is supported and lifted up.
I am not much of a singer, but some of my fondest memories are singing to my five little ones. My mom, too, was a crooner, though her beddy-bye tunes tended to be the 1940s and 1950s greatest hits for grownups. Not that it mattered much, but looking back it is a tad odd that Mom would rock us to sleep warbling “Here we are, out of cigarettes…” (from “Two Sleepy People” by Frank Loesser and Hoagy Carmichael)
SPECIAL MEMORY: I’ll always be so glad the following exchange with Baby Aiden was caught on video. I recall that day on the porch in Lewes vividly, loving Aiden’s little coos, imagining the real conversations I’d have with my grandson in the future (and now, in that future, I do!
SONG: RAINBOW CONNECTION I know, I love the original with Kermit the Frog too, but the Loggins version is my favorite (that whole album is terrific).
A LITTLE EXTRA INFO: And for those who’d like to delve a bit deeper, here’s a brief, fascinating history of those go-to-sleep songs…and some of them were surprisingly dark…
MUSIC: “Poeme” by Sheridan Seyfried
This is not a lullaby, but it is, I think, one of Sheridan’s gentlest and most beautiful pieces. This was from a performance at Curtis back in 2012, with Sher on piano and Zöe Martin-Doike on violin.
BLOG PREVIEW: Is “Swedish death cleaning” a real downer? NO! It’s actually a pretty cool concept, and I do believe my survivors will thank me someday (FAR in the future of course). Grab a trash bag and meet me over at Working Title tomorrow!
INSPIRATIONAL QUOTE OF THE WEEK: from “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
I wish I could remember more than tiny snippets of my early childhood, but I’m glad what I do remember includes lots of lullabies and love. Give yourself some love this week, and sing the child in you a lullaby!!