This picture is of my "husband", Bill Draper, performing at a Rock event benefit in the Catskills, called "Rockin Out the Dope."
Music is a big part of my life. I feel lead by it almost as much as I feel lead by pen to page. Just like words, guitar strings could even make me weep, contemplate, or jump for joy! This morning I am paying attention to lessons learned past and present as I parallel play with my daughter. It was my Dad's Birthday yesterday. When he was alive he told me that he would always be around just at a different frequency. I believe he still talks to me through song. Surround Song. He also told me that as long as one remembers and talks about someone they never die...
I celebrated the day yesterday past and present. I awoke at 2:00 am to a shooting star and pondered the beauty of this planet. I thought all day about my Dad's teachings and influence on my life. I played music, I wrote, and I talked about him; the good memories of him all day long. Some of his favorite songs were "Sleepwalking", "Peace in the Valley", "The Breakup Song", and "How Great Thou Art". He gave me a deep appreciation for music and a love for words as one of his favorite things to do was sit with highlighter in hand and study the dictionary. I used to admire my father for the books he read and studied. When I moved away we'd study poetry together and share our favorites through the mail. He liked "William Blake" and thought I would too. When he was alive he made my life rich in meaning like a decadent German chocolate cake.
I can see the beautiful ways in which he's influenced my life today and continues to as I learn and grow and pass on the wisdom of my years to my children. As Louis Armstrong sang, "What a Beautiful World", I see everyday that it still is, if you pay attention to the lessons of your past, you can fully come to appreciate every present.
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