Linnea's Lullaby

My child never ceases to amaze me. Just when I think I cannot be any more proud of her, she does something to prove I wasn't proud enough.

Last week after I got out of class and picked her up from a friend's house, my darling daughter got in the car, looked at me and smiled. Then, very nonchalantly, she said, "Mom, I wrote you a song." Believe it or not, that didn't surprise me; she is actually a pretty good little writer. She writes short stories when she has free time and has become bored with watching TV or playing on the computer, and has even written poetry and song lyrics, all of which are really very good, especially for her age.

But I had no idea my child could compose music.

When we got home, she went straight to the piano.

"Okay, Mom," she said, "this song is about your life. The beginning is very calm and slow, and then you'll hear it falling. That represents the hard time you've been through. And then it smoothes out again, and turns kinda happy."

I was not at all prepared for what I heard.

It was exactly what she said it would be. The melody is beautiful and sweet, right up to the "falling" part she told me about. Then she starts from the top of the keyboard and walks down in a very dissonant, sad, broken pattern, as she crosses one hand over the other to reach the bottom of the keyboard. Then, just as she said, the melody "smoothes out" and returns, sweetly, beautifully, to its original course and rhythm.

When she finished, she said, "It's called Linnea's Lullaby. What do you think?"

I was speechless. And I wept like a small child.

I, of course, told her how wonderful the song is, and have encouraged her daily to continue composing. She plays the piece all the time now, and I may have even convinced her piano teacher to allow her to play it at the next recital. I've heard the song several times a day since last week and still... I'm in awe.

And I'm so thankful for the joy and sweet surprises my child continues to bring into my life.