"Sing, Sing a Song"

2/7/12 

"Sing

Sing a song

Sing out loud Sing out strong

Sing of good things, not bad 

(Something ??) happy, not sad."

Scene: Mid-70s, our big ($212 a mo.) MSU faculty rental home at 3958 Central. Son, Buddy, in front of our console TV singing along, loud and strong (especially loud) with Bob as he sang to the Muppets on Sesame Street. After all these years, I still remember the words, at least some of them. I wonder if Buddy does.

Those words whirring in my head brought me up out of my sad song revery. Though not a hymn or a scripture, the lyrics seemed to provide deliverance from my song of complaint and frustration. I needed to change my thinking and my singing. Singing of good things, not bad, led to thinking of more things that were "good, honest just, pure, lovely." Thinking changed thus singing changed. Eventually my heart began to change "back" closer to where it needed to be. A grateful heart is reflected in songs of praise and joy, not sad songs. 

Soon I hope to be singing out those songs loud and strong.