by Penny Nash

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Reflect
What I like about mockingbirds is that they sing a lot of songs. They don’t just have one or two like most other bird species. They sing all the songs, not just a specialty niche. (You can tell this one is singing because of the way its throat feathers are parted.)

I like singing, too.

When I was a little girl and we drove to see my grandparents, who lived nine or ten hours away, my mom and dad and my brother and I would sing to pass the time. Our repertoire included I’ve Been Working on the Railroad, She’ll be Coming ‘Round the Mountain, On Top of Old Smokey (or On Top of Spaghetti if my brother had his way), and Jesus Loves Me. My dad had his own specialty: I Get the Neck of the Chicken, which my brother and I refused to learn because it was dumb.

Now that I’m an adult, when I am traveling I sometimes find an oldies station on the radio and sing along to every song I know. It’s pretty amazing when a song comes on that I haven’t heard in years and yet I still know all the words. I sing and maybe remember someone or some thing from long ago. A party, a particular outfit, a boy, a trip. I smile and my heart softens. Maybe I remember how young I was or how much I’ve learned since then. More often, though, I remember feeling happy and having fun.

Singing is so good for the body and the spirit.

But honestly, I don’t sing all that often, unless I am in church or on a long car trip by myself. I am not one to sing in the shower or while I’m just walking down the street.

In these fabulous days of Easter, though, perhaps I ought to set aside some time to sing and let myself be joyful just because I can.

Respond
Think of a song that makes you happy and sing it to yourself today. Better yet, find a friend to sing it with.