My Fathers Music

“Take life as it comes, where there’s life there’s love, where there’s love there’s hope, where there’s hope there’s cause…….” The lyrics rolled off of my father’s tongue like Jell-o from a mold. “……Let destiny lead you, let fate be your guide, let trust be your judge, but with honor and pride.” Words that, until he put them together, held only a small portion of the wisdom imparted. “Take it as it comes……there’s really not much changin’ it after it’s here.”

From as early as I can recall the sound of my father’s guitar has soothed me, like a soft comfy blanket, wrapping around me and warming me, penetrating me down to my core. The words in the lyrics were always sung with such emotion that you had to stop and listen, not just listen, ponder.

When I was little I would stay awake late at night pretending to be asleep on the couch so that I could listen even longer, holding on to each moment with all I had so as not to lose my grip. Funny, that hasn’t changed. Although my father has passed and is no longer here to guide me his words are forever imprinted in my mind and my heart and I hold on to them tightly.

The songs he would sing were always full of meaning. He would tell of great tales through his music, whether original or cover, each journey we would take would be full of imagery, meaning, foresight, as well as hindsight. Sometimes the hero would be dashing sometimes tortured, but always true.

I remember one night in particular watching him perform a song in public. The song was written about a little boy named Robbie Wade who had been tortured and abused by his parents until they eventually killed him. When my dad read the story in the paper it broke his heart. To find a way to relate to Robbie he locked himself in the attic for three days with no food or blankets, nothing for comfort. When he came out he had written a song he called, “Love and Bruises”. At the end of his set that night a woman approached him in tears, sobbing, “No one should ever have to endure what you have! My heart is with you!” .....she thought the song was about him. I think that was the first time it hit me, what my father really did that is. He told these stories as a way of teaching. He gave a voice to those who had none.

How has this made an impact on me, on who I am, and who I am yet to be? Simple, it has taught me to look beyond the obvious to what lies deeper, beneath the surface. It has taught me that there aren’t always happy endings, but no matter what, there are always lessons to be learned. I understand now, that to fully comprehend what someone has been through; you have to find a way to see through their eyes. I have learned that not everything that has meaning is tangible or even agreed upon by others. Above all, I have learned that I can affect people in ways I may not even realize, (beyond that I may not even know when I am doing it), and with that knowledge, I harbor a great responsibility to my listeners. I am responsible for the message I put out and I alone have the ability to choose not only what to share, but how to accept what is being shared. So, “…As we roll through the motions of white light and aging, of wine of roses, of candles and rain” I promise to “Take it as it comes” because as the song says , “there’s really not much changin’ it after it’s here!”