Wednesday
Mar312010
singing to remember.
south carolina spring . april 1, 2009
a year ago, when my grandfather died, i listened to alison krauss on my ipod on repeat throughout our trip to south carolina. something about her voice, the harmonizing, invites me to feel at home, invites me to feel safe.
the song "i'll fly away" makes me think of my grandfather now. i think about him saying his last words...drifting off to sleep while my mother and aunt sat beside him...and in the wee hours of the morning i believe he heard the sounds of the loons harmonizing as they called him home...
tonight, i found myself pulled to listen to alison krauss. i harmonized along with her and felt the space around my heart crack open just a bit so i could breathe a little easier on this day. as i sang so loud with my headphones on and my body moving to the music while working in the little room, i found myself remembering what i know to be true. and i found myself resting softly in this remembering.
tagged 
this is me in on grieving (and healing)
this is me in on grieving (and healing)
Reader Comments (5)
music = a magical balm. xoxoxo
Funny that you posted this today of all days-I spent a good portion of the day working on a CD mix and was caught up in the thoughts of what all the tracks meant to me. It's amazing how the music has the power to pull you right back to a certain time and place. I know where each of the tracks entered my life and why and what was happening when I heard them. It;s very powerful-for me, even more so than smell.
Do you listen to The Be Good Tanyas or the Wailin' Jennys? I think you would like both. The harmonies are wonderful-as good as the Indigo Girls. The BGT's are from Vancouver. I've been to small intimate concert with them and have a person connection that I didn't know I had when I purchased everything they've done on iTunes. Funny how life does that sometimes!
I keep a favorite photograph of my grandfather above my washing machine. Some in my extended family might think this is disrespectful of me. What they don't know is how much comfort I recieve from looking into his kind eyes and remembering how special he was and how much I KNEW he dearly loved me. Even on my most difficult days I can retreat to do some laundry (alone of coarse, no one else wants to do laundry lol), be reminded of Papaw always turning to prayer, the example he set and feeling his peace almost 30 years after he went home. I always think of the song, In the Garden, that was my Papaw favorite gospel song. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfhM5L5ZU0I ( a link to a simple lovely verson I just found.)
Have a blessed day! Thank you for sharing so much of your heart with everyone.
OK, now you've all got me crying - mostly because the thoughts of your grandfathers have brought back thoughts of my own sweet grandpa. He had a gruff exterior but had such a special soft spot in his heart for me. I kind of felt like I was his favorite, but I never wanted to abuse that privilege and never said a word about it to anyone (until now). Thanks for the memories!
Oh - and I discovered Alison Krause a few years back - I don't know of another singer who can match the sweet angelic tone of her voice. So lovely!
sing my sweet friend...