All In the Family

When I was growing up, one of my greatest pleasures was singing with my family.  Every gathering was a musical occasion, just for fun.  Dad brought out his guitar and sing-along sheets he'd created.  The spontaneous harmony was amazing.  Mom, Dad, Brother, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, Cousins - were all equally involved and sang their hearts out.  We sang folk songs, ethnic tunes, and pop music.

It is probably no surprise that I eventually married a musician.  We sang together too, and got pretty good at it.  We even asked for money!  We kept that up through at least 8 months of my pregnancy.  (It was an interesting sight - holding my guitar across my huge belly bump!)  The baby liked to kick between songs.  Maybe she was saying "gimme more"?

As things go, the marriage did not last, but the music did.  I raised my daughter alone, exposing her to all sorts of music - old, new, theater, recordings, live concerts in the park, and singing to her, of course.  She wanted to sing too, though it took her a while to gain the confidence. 

I was working a "real" job to support my daughter in appropriate style. We did chance to visit Dad and some other family members where we tested our harmony from time to time.  It always surprised me that my daughter did not jump in to participate with the family, because it was joyful for me.  However, kids like to find their own way.

Flash forward a few years. My daughter practiced secretly, then one day, appeared on stage at an all school production, and belted a song into a microphone!  There she was!  Later, she competed, auditioned for, and earned her place in the NC (statewide) Honors Choir 5 years in a row.  She also participated in the NC Bach Festival and many school concerts in the top selected choral groups.  Her voice became a beautful amazing presence.

At 16, my daughter invited ME to SING with HER!  What a pleasant and exciting surprise!  This was a gift to bring back my love of family music, and a way to bind us together into her adulthood.  We put on a holiday performance duet at the coffee shop where she worked that year.  Subsequent years, we found opportunities during other holidays and moments, but we created a family tradition of singing together at least during Mother's Day and the Christmas Holidays.

Through the years, there have been a few interruptions, but my daughter remains nearby, and we've found ways to keep the family magic going.  As we both get older, we are still maintaining that beautiful harmorny.  Just like riding a bike, the "musical memory" remains in such a way, that we can fall right back into our harmonious routines, even when we haven't practiced since the prior year.   

We are now beyond 25 years, celebrating the music together. There's nothing quite like the bond of "all in the family" music activities 

If you've never experienced this kind of feeling with your adult children, try to recreate some of those moments you used to enjoy together. Start similar traditions with your grandchildren, nieces, and nephews.   

Aside from keeping us inspired through family traditions, we are creating a legacy of moments and memories  to treasure. Build them. Keep them going as long as possible for you, and for them.

Just another way to Stay Inspired.  

I would love hearing your inspiring stories and am glad to play them forward to my other readers if you are willing.  Please stay connected - and Stay Inspired!

Paula C Snyder