It's All Right There, Don't Forget...
On the day my daughter was born I started documenting my love for her in a journal. I wrote about her raspberries, and then cute little things she’d say (the mixing up of words — “eucaliptsick,” “hangberger,” “brefkist,”) and anecdotal firsts — first crush, first kiss, first home run, broken heart. You know, milestones.
I’m not sure she remembers this but when she was small I’d occasionally break out that journal at bedtime and read her the stories of silly things she did a few years earlier. She’d laugh so hard at herself. I don’t know about you, but the sound of my child laughing is my favorite sound in the world. Still is.
That collection of memories has become a source of comfort for me lately especially during the past month over which she’s been quarantining in NYC— the epicenter of the you-know-what. I feel so separated from her. So powerless. So vulnerable. But when I revisit all those sweet memories, we’re connected.
I realize that had I never put pen to paper many of those moments would have undoubtedly evaporated in the blur of time whizzing by. But the ink keeps them alive.
My mother’s love was powerful and never a secret but she wasn’t big on writing stuff down. (The one handwritten item she left behind was a recipe for rice pudding on an index card. She forgot however, to include the cooking time 😳so whenever I make it I look up to the sky and shout, “Ma! How long?”)
With Mother’s Day upon us, whether you’re separated or apart, may I suggest gifting a journal to your mom, a mother figure, a mother-to-be or a grandmother? It’s never too late to start writing. You don’t have to be a writer by trade to make it count. When you feel love and tell the truth you have material — material that will be cherished forever. (Do I sound like a Hallmark Ad? God I hope not. I really mean this.)
Flowers die. Words are forever. On May 1st I’ll be releasing my next single — “Notebook” — a song about that journal I started 22 years ago. The words sprung to life when Layla called me from a semester abroad and said she kept dreaming I was dying! I wanted to reassure her that I was more alive than ever but…when the day comes that I am gone (hopefully not any time soon) she can flip through the pages of that journal and feel my love. “Don’t forget…it’s all right there in a Notebook, a Notebook by my bed.“ When we got off the phone I picked up my guitar and got started:
My daughter keeps on dreaming that I’m dying
Nothing could be further from the truth
I tell her not to worry
I’m in no hurry
That’s the last thing on this earth I’m gonna do
A journal is a photo album in words. Keep one for yourself. Give one away.
I do hope you get to hear this special song. Pre-save it below but first…
Here’s Layla:
Pre-Save “Notebook”
Tree of Life Journal on Amazon
Stay safe.
😷
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