My mother

I am requesting prayer for my mother. She has always been the dynamo in our family, but she has aged so drastically since my Daddy died. She and Daddy were married for almost sixty years and now it truly is as if half of her is no longer there.

She lives alone 150 miles from here and I don't get over there as often as I should. She refuses to leave her home and move in with me or into the retirement center which is only about two miles away. I understand that, but it certainly causes extra worry.

Our extended family is nearby to help her, but she fell recently and injured herself and refused to go to the hospital. She just suddenly looks so feeble.

I woke up early this morning worried about her. I hate the long boring drive, but will probably drive over there tomorrow.

I know I will lose her at some point, but I would love to see her return to her previous joyful, dynamic self.

Thanks.
smile

Smile: Prayers going up right now! Mothers are so special. It is especially hard when an elderly looses their life companion. I'll be praying for her well being.

I hope you find a way to enjoy the drive. Maybe some joyful music can help? Maybe reflecting on how much she means to you? I'll be praying for your trip as well!

Blessings!

Smie, why not write a song for your mom?

From my own experience...I'm sure it will mean a lot to her and brighten her days! (My Mom enjoys so much the songs I've written for her). Maybe that'll make your trip a breeze!!!

Just a thought.

Smile, I am praying for you and your Mom and hope that the trip to see her resolves some of your worry. Losing your Dad was difficult for her. Have a safe trip tomorrow. And yes...Song what a nice idea, a song from your heart for your Mom. You could do it on the way, so you can overcome the burden of a long boring drive.
Luv
chick

Great idea girls.
Mom loves my musicals and is always so proud when she comes to opening night. Of course like the rest of the family she wonders where I came from. I'm so different than anyone else in the whole neighborhood.
smile

I just talked to Mom and she said tell you all thank you for praying for her. She said she was already feeling better and she perked right up when I told her.

And I think I will go over this weekend instead of tomorrow because she decided she felt good enough to teach her porcelain class tomorrow. She is amazing.

I still worry about her, but already boomer prayers seem to be working another miracle.
Thank you all so much.
smile

smile, teaching at porcelain class? Inspiring!
I'm sure your calls boost her spirits. Your visit will work wonders.

I'm praying you are both blessed by the visit. Why don't you consider ways you can affirm her life with your words while you are there? The elderly need to be reminded of how their lives have made a difference. Don't you think?

Smile: I am so glad your mom is already feeling better. Prayers answered! I'm sure visiting with her will be a wonderful Rx to boost her spirit!

SMILES: I'm adding my name to the list of devoted friends who would be honored to pray for your dear, sweet Mother. I'm happy in reading that she is already feeling better! Amazing!

Have you ever considered books on tape for your journey? I don't like them, but the rest of the population seem to LOVE them. They would at least be a distraction. I have also taken a recorder along on a trip and "journaled" so to speak while I was driving. You could pin a microphone to your shirt/dress-top, whatever and talk away!

JJ

Here is praying for a lightness to your Mom's step. After 60 years with a partner it is difficult to dance alone and it is difficult to watch.

My MIL and FIL were very much like that. So endearing and now together in heaven.

Time with your Mom is precious, I hope you get as much as you need.

Lynn

Have fun on the weekend smile and give your Mom our best. Did you get the song written?

chick

smile, I'll be carrying you and Mom in my heart this weekend. May blessings surround you on this visit!

Smile, Thoughts of my Mom are constant companions these days...I miss her so much...but this weekend, everytime I think of her (which is constantly) I'll think of YOU instead and pray that your time with your Mom is enriching and precious and meaningful and affirming for both of you. My heart is with you, not only while you're with your Mom, but on the long drive there and back. I look forward to your safe return to us here at BWS.

Smile, My thoughts and prayers are with you and your Mom. My parents were together for 53 years before Daddy passed. Mom said she thought she'd do okay without him, but she lasted only two years. I believe she was lonely.

She lived in Illinois and my brothers and sister were there while my twin and I live in central Florida 1200 miles away. She would tell us she was lonely even though the kids would drop by. We used to call her every evening and sit on the phone with her for hours till she was tired or my sister came to spend the night with her.

What a joy for you to be able to put your thoughts, feelings, and love into a song for your dear mother. I pray this weekend is wonderful for you both. I'll definitely hold you and her in my prayers all weekend.

Do treasure the time you have with her. It is really quite different when your mother passes and you are an orphan in this world. But we have our heavenly father to help us through it all. It is also a blessing to know they are in heaven waiting for us.

Sandpiper

Looking forward to hearing about smile's weekend!

Thanks for asking Dotsie.
The weekend went well. The trip was a joy. Thanks to all the boomers for the encouragement and the prayers. I didn't do anything much but drive and listen to Christian radio. I am working on a song, but only got an intro so far.

Mom has a black eye from her fall. It makes me sad, but there's not much I can do. I brought her home with me for a week. I somehow convinced her to do that. I can see her aging and it scares me, but all I can do is be there for her.

She loves to shop so I took her shopping on the way home. (Thank heaven I could walk) She lives in the country so she doesn't get to shop often.

I think some road time and some time away will help her get past the fall. It seems to have affected her self assurance.

I wish I could have her forever, but I will just love her as long as I can.
smile

Smile, You and your Mom have a great week together. Do you have any specific plans or are you just going to take it easy. Tell her I said hi and have a nice visit.
Smile, does your Mom write? Just wondering.

chick

Glad to hear she's with you. I'm sure she's loving it!

Smile, how was the week, and how is your mom?

Mom was kind of deflated when she arrived, but she perked right up. She made a new shower curtain while she was here and got me going with some minor decorating projects. We shopped every day and went to lunch with my daughter and grandkids.

She looked much better when she left. I think getting away was just what she needed. I intend to do that for her more often.

She still needs our prayers though. She is just not herself without my Dad.
smile

Smile, I'm so glad you had a great time with your mom. Seems somewhat like my mom, with sewing and redec. projects. I cherish each moment I spend with her, even if it's over the phone!


Just curious... What's the average time it takes you to write a song? Do words and music come together for you! Or is it a separate deal?

Song, I almost never write a song except for a musical. I almost always write in the voice of a character and usually I do it very quickly because I am working with an impossible deadline. Then I have to get all of the arrangements done by professional musicians.

The words come first for me, and I hear a melody in them almost immediately so it kind of comes all at once.

For me melody comes either from words or beat, but the musicians who arrange my music seem to hear words in the melodies whereas I hear the melody in words. I think rappers hear the words in the beat and I don't they hear much melody at all.

I have been teaching Songwriting for Non-musicians for a while now only because a few friends have insisted and I am convinced that writers can almost all write songs if they just develop the over confidence of their inner child and listen for the melodies in their words.

Everyone at my workshops so far has written at least the beginning of a song that they sang at the end.

I have researched this a lot for those workshops and find it to be very interesting.

How do you do it?

smile

smile, you did all that and still had time for us. What a whirlwind you are! I enjoy hearing about you and your family. I bet you had a great week.

smile is a wonder woman or is that a superwoman. Song what about you? How long does it take you to write a song?
chick

Smile, So glad you had a great time with your mom. You gave her a great present taking her from her home for awhile.

Glad she did some projects while with you. It shows she still wants to be part of life even if she's missing your dad.

Do remember to call her as often as you can and share little memories with her even if they are on the phone. I used to sit and talk for hours with my mom to help her make it through the night. She was in Illinois and I was in Florida. But I wouldn't trade all the bills for anything because we had fabulous chats.

Best of luck with your lovely mom and praying you'll have her for many more years.

Sandpiper

Hi Smile, just wanted to know I'm praying for your mom as well. I was so blessed to have my mom close by and she was crafty as well. She made porcelain dolls, sewed all kinds of stuff, and still made the best coleslaw you ever tasted.

Blessings to both of you, Francine

Hey Smile, I'm adding my prayers and best wishes too.

Smile and Chick:
Words an music come together for me. I can't play an instrument, I can't read music. God gives me both words and music at once.

It may take an hour or a few. But it may take less than an hour. One of my favorite songs only took about 10 minutes or so. God is sooo good to me, giving me the privilege of doing this.

As soon as the first lines start coming, I begin writing and singing. When I am done, I sing it to myself until the music is recorded in my brain.

When I want a soundtrack, I just sing and record it. I mail the tape to my brother and he'll make the soundtrack for me.

I believe writing poetry's been helpful in songwriting for me. But I owe it all to God.

Gee Song,
That's exactly the way I do it. Except I don't have a musician brother.

I say I hear the melody in words because that's the way I hear the songs. As I hear the words, they begin to sing to me.

I think words have melodies and I try to teach people to hear that. If they just be still and listen to their heart the music will come with the words.

Poets already know how to put together beautiful words and all they have to do is become confident enough to sing.

At least that's what I try to convince them to do.

But I owe it all to God too.
smile

Smile, I'm glad to know I'm not alone in this!
But how do you teach someone to write a song?

One thing that amazes me is that the melody needs to be appropriate for the words. How do you get it all properly combined? All I can say is I praise God for it is HE that does through me. It's such a blessing!

I don't teach people to write a song. I just teach them to free the song that is already in their heart.

I believe anyone can do that. As children we all made up songs of some sort. Even babies lying in their crib cooing are really singing a melody.
At one time the scientists thought birds of a certain type all sang the same song, but with better technology, they have discovered that though each breed may sing in the same style, each individual bird has a very distinctive song that they have made up.
I think humans are all are born with the ability to make up our own songs and it is suppressed by life. If we only go back to the child that still lives in our heart, we can find our song.

I think the melody is appropriate for the words if it comes from the words. I have never been good at finding words for a melody though my musicians often want me to. For me it comes the other way. Without words, I have no song.

I don't know how it is all combined. I just believe the melody is there and when I find the words I will find the melody and most of the time I do. I don't claim to do it extremely well. I just do it.
smile

Wow, Smile! I love the way you say it: "...the melody is apporpriate for the words if it comes from the words". It is true!
All I can add is that for me it's a thrilling, humbling, amazing, uplifting, and deeply enriching experience!

I need to stop the whirlwind of tasks and take some time to write a new song. I yearn for the songs in my heart to come out and bless others too.

You know? It's a blessing being able to share about this!

Thank you for sharing Song. You are almost the only person I've ever known who understands the thrill and joy of that blessing. I just wish more people understood it.

When I get my music arranged, I am dancing on the ceiling for days. I usually do about fifteen songs for every musical and out of that many I MAY get one or possibly two songs that I really love.

And since I don't really sing very well, I am at the mercy of not only the musicians, but the producers, the directors, and the singers who must also be dancers and actors.

It's a huge gift of God when all that comes together at one time, but the love that surrounds me at opening night is overwhelmingly wonderful.

Gee, just typing that makes me long for it so. It's like a drug that you never get over. Strangely, I don't get the same rush from a publication, but I love seeing others who do.

Praying for a wonderful baby.
smile

Smile:
It's a wonderful, overwhelming experience. It's even more overwhelming when I think of how unworthy I am and how the Lord uses my songs to bless me and others. Tears of joy and gratitude and praise roll down my cheeks, for it is truly an amazing experience.

And for me, I feel so close to God when I sing praises to him. It's as if I'm singing face to face and I can see his smile...

How I long for that day when we will be able to praise him and never come back to the sorrows and trials that surround us now!

Meanwhile, he gives us beautiful music to bring us closer to him and celebrate all his blessings!
Isn't he marvelous?

Thanks for the good wishes! For me it's a double blessing: to have the CD and book with just months apart!

And to know that mom is so appreciative of what I do... It's by her example that I learned to love and serve the Lord. I praise God that he's allowing me to accomplish this and have her enjoy it! She's been my #1 prayer partner and encourager through all this time of hard work and waiting!

Smile, mothers are just a wonderful gift of God!

You are so right Song. My mother has always been such an encourager and a great blessing to me.

I worry about her now. She has always been there for me and now I must be there for her. It's difficult because I have never imagined her ever being anything but the strength of our family.
smile