I have this memory of my dad.
He’s in a rocking chair and I’m 4 or 5 and snuggled in his
lap. I’m wearing red and white striped pajamas. Maybe it’s because there’s a
photograph somewhere, but this moment is ingrained in my memory.
And, he’s singing to me. “Edelweiss” was our song of choice
that night, and on many nights for that matter.
The song made popular by “The Sound of Music” was such an
important part of my childhood. We sang it in the car on road trips, trying to
create perfect harmonies, or we sang it around the house or at big family
get-togethers. It was “Our song.”
It’s still our song.
As Kelly and I got older we still loved to sing along with
dad and our voices (at least in our minds) seemed to meld seamlessly when we
sang “Edelweiss.” On a recent family reunion, the three of us sang karaoke to “Edelweiss”.
We sat on dad’s lap together and sang the song like old times.
I’m hoping the song will carry on.
When Julie was a baby, I sang it to her every night before
she went to sleep. Sometimes I changed the words saying “Julie May” instead of “Edelweiss”.
I’d get a little teary thinking about my dad singing the song to me.
Yesterday was my dad’s birthday. He turned 69.
Guess what song Julie played for him on the piano?
She asked her piano teacher for the music, and learned the
song in two days…just in time to Skype with my dad on his birthday.
I think he might have teared up a little bit seeing his
granddaughter playing the song that meant so much to us growing up.