Singing to your baby is probably one of the most natural, peaceful, bonding experiences a mother can share with her child. There is loads of research saying that babies who are sung to by their caregivers are calmer, less fussy, and learn language faster than babies who are not. I didn't know this when I became a mom, but sing I did. Everywhere. In the morning, at meals, in the car, in the bath, at bedtime... anywhere and everywhere - I sang to my baby girl.
There were many songs that I gravitated to while gazing upon the face of my sweet girl, but the one that was my go to was "Rainbow Connection".
"Who said that every wish, would be heard and answered when wished on the morning star? Somebody thought of that, and someone believed it, look what its done so far. What's so amazing that keeps us star gazing and what do we think we might see? Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me".
She was the wish that was heard and answered for me. Her life was a wish granted, a prayer answered, a gift. As years passed, my wishes for her changed and developed as she did. I wished for her to learn to explore the world, find her place in it, and find joy and peace with herself. As she became an adolescent, it quickly became clear that those wishes were not to be answered by the morning star.
"Have you been half asleep, and have you heard voices, I've heard them calling my name. And is it the sweet song, that calls the young sailor, the voice might be one and the same. I've heard it too many times to ignore it, it's something that I'm supposed to be. Someday we'll find it, the rainbow connection, the lovers, the dreamers and me".
I'm hearing her voice, and I've found mine. It's time to come out of the darkness and find what we're supposed to be. We are lovers and dreamers, and we are connected in this shared experience. Our broken system is failing our children, and we as parents have to stand together to fight for a better system for our babies. This is our Rainbow Connection.