Blackbird

When Dani was a baby, I sang to her all the time. One of my favorite songs was something that you church of Christ types will recognize by its chorus:

The greatest friend you'll ever find is on a lonely mountain.
The highest high you'll ever reach is when you kneel to pray.
The brightest light you'll ever see is when you close your eyes.
Oh Lord you are my first love, at last I realize.

Somewhere along the line, I stopped singing. Basically, for most of Dani's preschool years, I, suppressed by a dark cloud of depression, stopped living altogether. When Dani was about 4 or 5, she (completely out of the blue) said, "Mom, please sing the mountain song." I had no idea what she was talking about. I questioned her and questioned her, but couldn't think of any mountain songs that she might know. I remember singing the first lines to several John Denver songs, but she screwed her face at every one of them. Finally, she said, "The one you sang to me when I was a baby."

Oh, how well I remember the tears that sprang to my eyes that day. I was shocked that she held that memory; it had been so long locked away. I sang it right then, and every night for years after.

When the boys were born, Dani sang to them often. "The Mountain Song", as our family affectionately refers to it, was the first one in her repertoire. The boys are 4 and 5 now, and they still request that song every night at bedtime. Tonight, though, after I sang it, Aidan had a second request:

"Blackbird."
"I don't know a song called Blackbird," I said.
"Yes you do!" he voiced with exasperation, "it's DANI's song!"
AH! The Beatles. Dani learned to play it recently at guitar lessons.

Immediately, I gave myself a mental thwump to the head and googled the lyrics; meanwhile, Ian broke into song, perfectly in tune and tempo: "Blackbird singing in the dead of night..."

Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to be free.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night.
Blackbird fly, Blackbird fly
Into the light of a dark black night.
Blackbird singing in the dead of night
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise
You were only waiting for this moment to arise

I'm no Paul McCartney, but that sure was a fun song to sing.
I hope they request it again tomorrow night. :)