Children Singing

Last night family members both present and far away celebrated as my daughter gave her senior recital. She is a music education major at Samford University in Birmingham, which has allowed me to be close by as she passed milestones in her vocal development. She performed beautifully, and brought an outstanding end to a fruitful four years of college vocal study.

As I listened, I remembered accompanying her in the school talent show in the first grade. She tentatively sang a Disney song with all her heart. We weren't surprised that she wanted to enter the talent show, for she had sung every day since learning to speak. Each night she sang herself to sleep, and as her sister and brother came along, she taught them her songs. She is never happier than when she is singing.

Her sister is also a lovely singer. She was there to support her sister last night, having also chosen education as a major, and photography as a hobby. But as we listened, I recalled that she was also a singer. I remembered her beautiful face as she sang in the choir in a concert that was particularly difficult for me to conduct. Her beautiful face got me through that night. I remembered one Christmas as our Minister of Music asked us to sing a Christmas Carol in a service. She and her brother took the melody, her older sister sang alto, and I played the piano and added a little tenor. I was never happier than when I was singing with them.

And my son, who drove 200 miles to be there for his sister's recital, has also proven to be quite a singer. A few weeks ago their high school's band director was called to serve in Iraq with his Reserve Unit. The students were eager to let him know of their care for him as he left for a year in a war zone. My son and his friends worked up the Michael Buble song, "Home," and performed it in the assembly the school presented to honor the band director. My son had never sung a solo before, but he seemed at ease doing it because of his love and admiration for the band director. My favorite memories of his singing have come from our annual trips to see baseball games all over the country. Each year we plug his ipod into the car stereo and sing our way to the next stadium.

God has blessed us beyond measure, and I am thankful for all the interests and talents of my children. I would love them as much if they weren't interested in music, and we hadn't shared these experiences. But I think it is a particularly indescribable grace that the sounds of my children's voices are so prevalent in my memories and in my present-day experiences. When I become aware of a young couple's expectation of a new baby, I always wish for the child's great health and well-being. I wish for them to be smart and accomplished and gracious. But I also dare to wish for the parents to experience this extraordinary grace that has characterized my life. I wish for them the frequent sound of their own children singing.