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Valentine · M
Just a few days away from my only daughter's wedding(s), and yes, a time for reflection. At least for me it is. Everything is sort of ready - venue booked, beautiful dress bought and altered to fit well, speech written (at least a good fall-back version), and I only have one inch left to lose so I can button up my suit jacket with just a little breathe-out comfort - apparently these days, they are 'supposed to be tight'... I am from the UK, so extra special to me will be the fact that I will soon also be blessed with three extra fine American grandchildren - to add to my only grandson who will be shortly moving to Tennessee to set up a new life together. The countdown has started in earnest now, 'goodbyes' and 'goodlucks' are already plentiful. My daughter will soon be a few thousand miles away, on a different continent. Which also means I now have an interest in what Mr Trump says and does. Didn't stop me before, but up till now, I respected the fact that he was 'your President'. I now have a 'stake'. More on that later, I'm sure. But for now, am I losing a daughter or gaining a son, a grandson and two granddaughters - a bit of both, I'm sure. Facetime may help, but I fear it just won't be the same.
I sing and play guitar - only amateur you understand, but I have a few stalwart songs which I have adapted to my own (and it seems others) liking and am now happy to sing to any sized crowd - and 'Summertime' (by George Gershwin) is one of them. I have been playing it for best part of thirty years, and now my daughter has learned to sing it too - I'm on Soundcloud if you're tempted to peek a little more, Travis Valentine. My daughter & I now sing together and I play my guitar for her. I only realised she had such a beautiful voice 2-3 years back, and as our singing has developed, I don't look forward to the silent gap which will be left, along with much more besides. But this is a 'half-empty' view and my cup is not even 'half-full' - for once it truly runneth over. And why not grab such times with open hands and arms.
We had a 'farewell & adieu' session at our local folk club last Thursday, which was more like a party than a folk club session, with so many special people doing so many special things to do their best to bring a tear to my daughter's eye. We haven't got past the 'happy' stage yet, but as you can perhaps see here, I may be moving into 'reflective'. I'm ready. One of my contributions to the evening was to sing my adaptation of 'Summertime', hoping that she would take over from my now ever-gravelly and perhaps off-tune voice, and she did, I'm glad to say. But not before I had reflected on the words to the song - and their aptness perhaps - I should add, I'm not that rich, but her Ma is exceptionally good-lookin' :
"Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh your Daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin'
So hush little baby, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're goin' to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by"
We will be going over to Tennessee shortly after the 'wedding' here (it will have all the hallmarks of a traditional English church wedding) but the actual legal wedding will be taking place later in the USA - by special request (and sanction) of Mr Trump.
If anyone has advice on how to get through the emotions of such a day when your first child gets married, I'm all ears, for 'lachrymose' might be a more fitting middle name for me than 'Valentine'. I'm sure I'll be fine though.
I sing and play guitar - only amateur you understand, but I have a few stalwart songs which I have adapted to my own (and it seems others) liking and am now happy to sing to any sized crowd - and 'Summertime' (by George Gershwin) is one of them. I have been playing it for best part of thirty years, and now my daughter has learned to sing it too - I'm on Soundcloud if you're tempted to peek a little more, Travis Valentine. My daughter & I now sing together and I play my guitar for her. I only realised she had such a beautiful voice 2-3 years back, and as our singing has developed, I don't look forward to the silent gap which will be left, along with much more besides. But this is a 'half-empty' view and my cup is not even 'half-full' - for once it truly runneth over. And why not grab such times with open hands and arms.
We had a 'farewell & adieu' session at our local folk club last Thursday, which was more like a party than a folk club session, with so many special people doing so many special things to do their best to bring a tear to my daughter's eye. We haven't got past the 'happy' stage yet, but as you can perhaps see here, I may be moving into 'reflective'. I'm ready. One of my contributions to the evening was to sing my adaptation of 'Summertime', hoping that she would take over from my now ever-gravelly and perhaps off-tune voice, and she did, I'm glad to say. But not before I had reflected on the words to the song - and their aptness perhaps - I should add, I'm not that rich, but her Ma is exceptionally good-lookin' :
"Summertime and the livin' is easy
Fish are jumpin' and the cotton is high
Oh your Daddy's rich and your ma is good lookin'
So hush little baby, don't you cry
One of these mornings
You're goin' to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by"
We will be going over to Tennessee shortly after the 'wedding' here (it will have all the hallmarks of a traditional English church wedding) but the actual legal wedding will be taking place later in the USA - by special request (and sanction) of Mr Trump.
If anyone has advice on how to get through the emotions of such a day when your first child gets married, I'm all ears, for 'lachrymose' might be a more fitting middle name for me than 'Valentine'. I'm sure I'll be fine though.
@Valentine Just remember that everything in this world comes with an expiry date. You were given a project to work on and soon it would be done, with all best wishes, pretty nicely.
:)
Bless her on our behalf as well while she goes forth on her new journey with her partner.
Peace be upon you.
:)
Bless her on our behalf as well while she goes forth on her new journey with her partner.
Peace be upon you.
Valentine · M
@sspec Thank you, sincerely, very nice words. I have found however, that my project will go on and on and probably never end, and even after I have 'moved on', the hopefully good memories and more importantly 'good values' will still remain and be nurtured for the next generations. Not that I'm a saint, I ain't; but I do write the odd poem, and I think I have just stumbled across the first line to my next ;)
Thank you Silentspecator.
Thank you Silentspecator.
Valentine · M
Just to be clear, it is the second verse which overflowed with aptness:
"One of these mornings
You're goin' to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by"
Money and good looks are relative issues and often transient.
"One of these mornings
You're goin' to rise up singing
Then you'll spread your wings
And you'll take the sky
But till that morning
There's a nothin' can harm you
With daddy and mammy standin' by"
Money and good looks are relative issues and often transient.
pennynoodles · 56-60, F
Valentine · M
@pennynoodles Indeed they're not, Mrs N. But the second verse is the verse which caught my attention... :)
