thanks for all the joy they're bringing
who can live without it, i ask in all honesty what would life be?
without a song or a dance what are we?
so i say thank you for the music for giving it to me
-ABBA
i heard this song for my first time when i saw the musical mama mia with my girlfriend maia.
she's a HUGE abba fan and knew every word to every song.
i knew a few, but this one was brand new to me.
i instantly fell in love with it and ordered the CD the next day.
i was pregnant with finn at the time and sang it over and over during my pregnancy.
i think he came into the world humming it.
he and christopher know every word to the song and have had the pleasure (or torture)
of watching hollywood's movie version numerous times as we own the movie and i play it often.
the text above is the chorus which to me is the best part of the song.
it is a reminder that music plays an important role in my life - it brings me joy!
i grew up in a home where music was appreciated, enjoyed and encouraged.
my father is *passionate* about it and would spend his free time in the family room
listening to music and sharing his records/albums with us kids.
he listened to all types - choirs, classical, johnny cash, peter, paul and mary,
elton john and my personal favorite, paul simon and art garfunkle. oh, how i loved them!
to this day, when i go back to florida to visit,
i find dad sitting in his comfy reclinder listening to music.
he's always anxious to share a new song or piece with me.
my parents allowed me to start taking piano lessons when i was about 8 years old
and i continued with it until i was in high school.
i look back and realize what a financial sacrifice that was for them with 7 kids to raise and feed.
music was important to them and since i was the one that expressed the most interest in piano
(i think all or most of us took lessons at one point), i was allowed to continue.
though i never had much natural talent, i enjoyed playing and still do.
when i sit and play these days, i have little people that squeeze in next to me or sit on my lap
and drown out my music with their banging. this won't be forever, but this my life now.
i am so thankful to my parents for those piano lessons and for sharing their love of music with me,
especially my father.
