It's good to think about family on Mother's Day.
One of my brothers was a musician, and following my mother's death twenty years ago, he confessed to me how hard it was to perform nightly in the lounge act that he had created. "Do you know how many songs have 'mother' in them?" he asked.
When I thought about writing this post, I thought maybe I would look for a few of them and include them here. 'Up Against the Wall, Redneck Mother,' is one that specifically comes to mind as comic relief of that particular discussion. As funny as that might have been, I decided to be more respectful and inspirational, if not a little melancholy.
One of my mom's favorite songs was 'Bridge Over Troubled Waters,' by Simon and Garfunkel. I grew up listening to it with her, on the stereo, on the radio, and in the car, cranked as loudly as it would go. After her death, I wondered why that song played such an important part of her life. Listening to the lyrics today, I think perhaps it was to remind me, and all those who still hold her so dear, "If you need a friend; I'm sailing right behind."
It is with thanks and love that I make this Music Sunday post today, for my mom, and for mothers and children everywhere. Sometimes our mothers stay in the background pushing and hoping. Sometimes they go ahead and light the way. But they are always our dearest and most honest friends and with their optimism, we learn and proceed on our own.
