I found a wonderful question on a parents’ blog about children’s music … what would be the first sound of music you would want to share with your newborn child? To me this has to be the utmost personal, touching thought and a true first moment that only a parent can impart on his/her child.
So I thought about it, and there are a lot of songs I sing my children, especially as babies when I get to rock them and dance with them. But I always come back to one song that I think has childhood meaning for me, but also has something I want to share with my children. Hope, honest and pure optimism, believing you can do anything and just the notion that everyone should have dreams they live for.
So for my first musical choice I give you Somewhere Over the Rainbow. And while I LOVE Judy Garland, and the Wizard of Oz is a classic in my memory of musicals I re-enacted repeatedly as a child, it’s the IZ version that I hear in my head. The rhythm is great for swaying, and it’s a mellow take that adapts well to a lullaby. Plus, I think I heard it for the first time when we were in Hawaii pregnant with Davis, and somehow it has just stuck with me.
My gift to you, Reese, is listening to this after bath time to stay calm and help soothe you to sleep. I just wish I had this idea before Davis was born.
OK With Change 