December Second; If I Could Give a Gift, What Would it be?

I set out at the end of last month to create a list like I had used in November. A daily set of prompts to challenge and guide my writing. On my first day, I diverted from the list, but, I felt better with the second choice than the original. The first may or may not be used later. It is at the writer’s whim right? 

Now, on this second day I have two options. When I wrote out the list, I wrote song. Yesterday I jotted healing below song. This leaves me in a quandary, do I use one, both or neither?

 I’ll be honest, I am not a singer. Well, I am, just a bad one. I couldn’t carry a tune in a wash tub. All of those bad, missed note would be sloshing out all over. The flat tone would have listeners wanting to swear my voice had flat lined and should be declared dead. Which is why when I sing, I sing solo. So low I don’t disturb anyone close enough to hear. When we consider song though, from talented singers and musicians, there is something special created.

 The fact that we are a creation with so many variables makes us amazing to begin with. When you begin to dissect the parts to better understand the whole it is even more so. One collection of variables, is our emotions. We can feel any given way, at any given time. Those feelings can also shift and turn quicker than a zero turn mower and move faster than the most expensive sports car. What does all of that have to do with song? Well, there is the old saying that music soothes the savage beast. The right song, at the right moment, can make all the difference.

 When my husband died, a song that always seemed to start playing on the radio at the most perfect of moments was a Christian song called Eye of the Storm by Ryan Stevenson. That song was always the distraction I needed, the moment of hope offered just when I needed it most. I would imagine that we all have certain songs that are special to us in similar ways. The songs that helped get us through rough times.

 I, personally, have eclectic tastes in music. I love most types and can at various times be caught listening to almost anything. While my spiritual side loves Gospel, my wild child loves that old time rock and roll. When I contemplate the old time rock and roll, I am thinking of music with lyrics that often shared a message.

Think Three Dog Night’s song, Black and White.https://youtu.be/4f65mO146Zo

A song, is not a song without music. The lyrics, poetry without a heartbeat. Combined they create a gift all their own. They bring their own emotions to feed the emotions of our heart. They bring excitement, joy, energy that fills a void that we may not have even recognized at the moment. Songs, have power.

How many have been at a high school football game and felt the charger of energy brought on when the band plays? Whether the home team is winning or not, the electricity that runs through the fans is real.

 Songs bring a form of togetherness. Whether they are sung, or chanted. They take a potentially disjointed band of people and bring them together as one voice. Together they can march as one. Together, they can act as one. Together, they can accomplish a showing of strength, as one voice.

 Songs, bring hope. When times are difficult, when there are struggles, to be able to join voices together brings strength. When the variety of different tones blend and create that special sound, there is growing belief that things and times will get better. 

Songs, bring healing. As I mentioned earlier, a song that meant and still means a lot to me, is Eye of the Storm. My husband’s passing was still new, the heart and soul raw from the pain. It didn’t take much to take me to a dark place. This song, brought about a peace that was needed, a reminder of the hope and peace in every storm. 

My singing, is still horrendous. I have told that my singing causes dogs to howl. When I would get a sideways glance, I would tell of how I was returning from the vet with one of my dogs. I started singing along to a song on the radio. The dog started howling. When I stopped, the dog stopped, when I started again, so did the dog. And no, he wasn’t harmonizing, he was in pain and wanted it to stop.

 Still, even if our talent is lacking and we must find a solitary place to sing. If our voices is that of angels or blends with others like the finest of choirs. Sing. Sing at the top of your lungs or sing solo. Just sing. For singing, no matter the song, no matter the genre, no matter the age of the music, sing. For singing does soothe the savage beast and heal the hurting soul.

My Bella, a polite lady who ignores how badly I sing, simply because she enjoys the company