Larger text
Smaller text
Print
E-mailA dedication to Tyler and Madalyn
What is there about May and flowers and gentle spring breezes that make children of all ages want to sing their little hearts out?
I tend to believe it has something to do with their genes and sunshine, natural youthful exuberance -- and, perhaps, because another year of school is coming to an end.
Nothing could make me sing no matter how hard I tried -- not even the last day of school.
I had a mother who liked to sing, a grandmother, several cousins, a daughter and even some friends. But I also had a father, a kind and dedicated father, to be sure. He had one fault, which I have inherited: He could not sing and graciously passed it on to his first child.
As youngsters and then in our early teens, we would put old records on grandma's equally old record player and dance all over our big living room. Cousins and our girlfriends would join us and that room would rock, as they say today. That was back when families played together and stayed together.
Quite a few years went by, young faces and limber limbs changed drastically -- at least on the ones who still remained on this side of heaven.
My children had grown up and had children of their own and wouldn't you know it, they presented me with great-grandchildren who love to take walks in the woods, ride bicycles, play ball -- and dance and sing and act. So where do they go? To the Center For the Performing Arts.
It always gives this great-grandma chills (proud ones) when I see them come out to take a bow and then their Grandma Eicher jumps to her feet and claps with great joy and enthusiasm. I love them but I can't do that!
Now it's a brand new May day, a different location, one more production -- this one at Springfield Elementary School where another afternoon of music and dance is about to begin. This time we're seated in row three, along with parents and grandparents of the two children we were there to hear sing and sort of dance -- which is hard if you are the ones standing on the bleachers -- or whatever they're called.
We were there to watch -- and hear -- "Jukebox Jive" proudly performed first by the kindergarten class singing some very old favorites like "Rock Around the Clock," "Teddy Bear" and "Hound Dog."
They were quickly followed by second-grade students offering up several favorites such as "Stayin' Alive," "YMCA" and "Blowin' in the Wind." But we weren't finished being entertained by all these happy boys and girls, because fourth grade thrilled us with "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," "Footloose" and "I'll Be There For You."
The performance ended with all three classes joining in with their version of "What Time Is It."
If we could all live in a perfect world of our choice, mine would have to include, first of all, love; then books, and lots of joyful singing and children with the voice of angels doing that singing.
This article is dedicated to Tyler and Madalyn who bless our lives with music and song every day.
