The hotel elevator was packed shoulder to shoulder when a young girl started belting out It's the End of the World as We Know It (and I Feel Fine) by R.E.M. Heads started turning with WTF expressions. The puzzled looks quickly turned into snickers and grins. What is it about singing in public that makes people smile?
Twenty years later I find myself thinking of this girl as I sit on top of a mountain enjoying the sunrise. This morning I decided to make lemonade out of lemons. I couldn't sleep so I got up and drove to the top of our mountain.
There were cotton candy clouds, birds greeting the day with gusto and trees rustling softly in the wind.
As I sat listening, I quietly sang in my head, “the hills are alive with the sound of music.” I looked around to see if I was alone then I very sheepishly sang the refrain out loud.
I smiled thinking of that girl, that girl on the elevator. I took a deep breath and belted out, “THE HILLS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC” and smiled. The birds didn't seem to mind.
When is the last time you sang out?
Below are 5 places YOU can enjoy singing:
- In a public elevator:: Try R.E.M.
- While you do busy work :: My good friend Sally hums quietly under her breath as she does small tasks like prepping dinner, wiping down a kitchen table or making coffee. It is utterly endearing.
- When putting your kids to bed:: When is the last time you sang at bed time? Are your kids beyond the lullaby stage? I recommend the song Moon, Moon, Moon by Laurie Berkner? Let's Lasso the Moon Tip: Be sure to have your child do the “my nightlight” hand gesture showcased here. I promise, they'll love it.
- At church :: Do you sing softly afraid people might actually HEAR your voice? Take a chance, REJOICE and sing with all your heart.
- In the car with your children :: Get a copy of the soundtrack to The Sound of Music. Try to resist singing Do Re Me. Our girls cannot make it through the tune without singing at the top of their lungs.
What is your favorite song to belt out in the car? I'd love if you'd share some everyday musical selections that are kid friendly. For example our ladies also like Good Life, 100 Years, Yellow Submarine, If I had a Million Dollars...
PS: My lovable cat woke me up for a snuggle session at 4:15am, she's lucky she's so dang cute. I'd like to say the classic author E.B. White inspired me to make lemonade out of lemons this morning, but that's a crock. We did read the famous tale Stewart Little with the girls. Still, it was Hugh Laurie, I mean Mr. Little's voice, which got me out of bed this morning. In the movie, he advises Stewart to always “look for the silver lining” in a bad situation. This phrase kept repeating itself in my mind. The girls are at their Nana's for a long weekend so I decided to brew a cup of coffee and watch the sunrise. My husband, who HAS to get up at 4:45am, thought I was insane. I didn't find the silver lining. I found more.
