I was listening to NPR Weekend Edition Saturday and I heard the saxophonist, Joshua Redman, playing some songs and talking about his father, tenor saxophinist, Dewey Redman. Dewey came to play at a recent recording session with Joshua. When they were done, Dewey asked to play a song on his own, without Joshua. Since it was Joshua's album, it was a strange request. But Joshua said OK and left to get some coffee. When he returneed, his father was done. It only took one take and the name of the song was "GJ".
Joshua and his wife had recently had a baby, and this song was a gift to Dewey's grandson, Jaden. Dewey died shortly after the recording. This beautiful, soulful song will be a lasting legacy to his grandson. Jaden will grow up without knowing his grandfather, but he will have this very special gift, this song, written and performed just for him by this great Jazz musician.
After listening to this report, I started thinking about gifts we give to our children and our grandchildren. We want to be sure they have the best clothes, toys, books, furniture. Maybe one special toy or one special book will remain with them as they grow, but mostly they will grow out of the things we give them, unless we truly give them something of ourselves.
Who are you? What is special about you? What do you love to do? Believe in? Support? What kind of gift can you give to your children or grandchildren that says: "This is me. This is how I feel about you. This is what I want you to remember about me."?
Perhaps it will be a handmade quilt or doll house, a story you write, a picture you paint, a special memento from your own parents you pass on, a camping trip, an afternoon spent fishing, a walk in the woods. Whatever it is, I urge you to think about what you want your children to know about you or your grandchildren to remember about you. Give them gifts that tell them something about who you are, what you know, what you love.
Give them memories in the here and now. Today may be all we ever "have", but our todays are built upon the days that came before.
Read more of Saralee Sky's articles in Nutsense, her online newsletter devoted to parenting and located on her web site: www.babynut.com.
Once named Womb To Grow, Saralee's Blog was dedicated to natural pregnancy, childbirth and parenting. It used to be associated with www.babynut.com. Babynut has gone out of business as of March 31, 2010. Now this Blog contains all of the parenting articles that used to reside on Babynut plus some cool quotes of wisdom and humor. I am not sure what this Blog will become. Perhaps a diary of running our B&B. Stay tuned!
Saralee with her sons, Gabriel and Joseph, in 1981
About Me
- Babynut House
- I have 35 years of experience with children: as a mother, grandmother, therapist for abused children, and executive director of three nonprofit agencies serving children, including chapters of Big Brother Big Sisters and Camp Fire USA. I currently run a B&B in my home.