My thoughts on a page.

Today is my eldest child’s birthday, the anniversary of the day this mad adventure in motherhood began, the day, quite a few years ago, she made my greatest dream come true.

As a little one she and I walked along hand in hand and I couldn’t imagine us not being close…until she became a teenager that is. Then, for a time I wondered would we ever be close again? Thankfully those years don’t last too long and they are now a distant memory.

When I first held this little one, my heart melted and it’s never recovered.

A few years ago I wrote this post which I’d like to share once more today on this young lady’s birthday.

I wonder if anyone else has done this?  Before ever my children were born, I dedicated a special song, to each of them. A different song for each one.

This is the story of my eldest daughter and how I chose her song.

Many years ago, before I had my first child and before my husband even appeared on the scene,
I was sitting on the bed next to my Dad who was very sick at the time with motor neuron disease, but could still speak.

The two of us were chatting away, putting the world to rights, when I heard a song on the radio.
It was called “Feet of a dancer”, by Charlie McGettigan.

The lyrics go like this.
I hope you find the feet of a dancer,
I hope you can sing in the rain,
I hope you find all the easy answers to your pain;
It won’t be easy, what can I say,
There will be trouble along the way;
‘Round every corner there’s terror and fear,
Always remember that we’re here.

I hope you find the feet of a dancer,
I hope you can sing in the rain,
I hope you find all the easy answers to your pain;
I hope you find love and affection,
I hope you find someone who cares;
I hope you find all the right directions everywhere,
Everywhere.

A shoulder to cry on whenever you’re alone,
You can rely on us you know;
Nothing too crazy, nothing too dear,
Always remember that we’re here.

I thought it was beautiful. When the song ended Dad turned to me and with a lot of emotion in his voice said,

“That is what every Dad would wish for his daughter.” I turned to him and we hugged tightly.

Dad died the following year, but I never forgot that moment.

Years later I had my first child, a daughter. When I took her home from hospital, I went searching for that song. A song I had often sung to my daughter before she ever existed,
the lyrics saying more than I ever could.
A song that reminded me of a beautiful moment shared with my Dad.

Many days I spent watching her as a sleeping newborn.
That song blaring in the background as I sang at the top of my voice my wish for her to “have the feet of a dancer”.

She is on the cusp of a new career. Who knows where her future will take her, but I hope she will always remember…

“there’s nothing too crazy, nothing too dear,
and always remember that we’re here”.

photo credit: Jitterousperth via photopin cc
photo credit: wtl photography via photopin cc