You Are My Sunshine :)

Last week, Kelly and I visited Children of the Night in Van Nuys, CA to sing for the teens there as we have done for many years with other members of the Special Angel Band. Our band leader Jon Walmsley was with us this evening and the kids were great. They listened and talked and shared feelings. Jon played some old Beatles tunes and they loved it. They even sang along and knew the lyrics to one of them. You just can't imagine how great it was to hear Jon play the Beatles and see these kids singing along.

Kelly and I sang some of our original songs and the kids really liked the lyrics. I'm always amazed at how we connect, no matter what. These kids have been through a lot and the one thing we try to do with our music is give them a chance to relax and reflect, share feelings and learn new ways to look at things that we experience in life. Through talking about how the songs make them feel or how they can relate to them, they become empowered. One of the kids commented that every song had meaning to it. As a songwriter, I think that was a great compliment. That's what it's all about. How great is the ability to communicate through music? Pretty darn great.

It was a good night but the best part came later when we brought Kelly home. We went in to have something to eat and the twins woke up when they heard us talking in the kitchen. The little ones are pretty good at crawling out of their cribs now. Kelly has twin boys, almost 3 now and a daughter age 10 who loves to sing with us. The boys, Ryan and Kyle, came out giggling and visited awhile. Soon, Kelly brought them back to bed. I heard singing coming from their room and walked over and stood by the door.

Then came the best part of the evening watching Ryan's face looking up at his mother as she sang to him softly, rocking him in the big rocker by his crib. As I listened to her sweet voice singing You Are My Sunshine, I knew that was the best song of the night. The smile on his face said it all. Music.......the universal healer and communicator. What a gift.

Thoughts to start the conversation.

Welcome. So glad you stopped by. My daughter Kelly and I have been through a lot of interesting, challenging and rewarding life adventures. Over the years, we've learned a lot about life and each other. When she was younger, I worked as a nurse...........all the time. The one thing I wish I had done differently was to stay home more, be  home when she came home from school, spend more time listening. The good thing about realizing this and talking about it with her now that she is a mother herself is that she can use that knowledge to be an even better mother.

Knowing what she would have liked better, she now has the chance to do that for her own daughter.  The good thing is that we are able to talk about it in a positive way. I can look at things as they were, see how I could have done it differently and discuss it with her but then we move on.

This is an important step in the ongoing mother-daughter relationship. Don't hold onto things you wish you had done better. Share in a way that can be helpful to you and your daughter. Praise her for being a good mother and share the good times together. Progress :) 

So why this blog? Angel wings and other things? Well this is one of the other things. Along the way, I'll share other interesting things about how we started singing together, started the Special Angel Band and have worked over many years using music to help troubled teens open up and talk about their feelings.

We have learned so much from our work with kids. I've also continued my work as a nurse over the years. I will share thoughts and observations with you and I welcome yours in return. Just remember that we are all here for a visit on the great planet earth. Every day we each have the opportunity to help, inspire and motivate others. Find your wings, brush them off if needed and be an angel to all. You never know what someone else is going through. Your smile may be just what they need.

 Until next time,
   Blessings :)