Mom's Lullaby

   

       At one of the storytelling gatherings earlier this month, before everything in the present and foreseeable future was cancelled, one of the women told a story about her summers as a child and how her aunt would read fairy tales to her and sing lullabies. Then she sang a few lines from one of the bedtime songs! And as she sang, my mind went back, back in time. And I had to smile.

       I do not recall my mother ever reading fairy tales to my brothers or me, or singing lullabies! We did have a book of fairy tales which was in the house as far back as I can remember, and I remember I was familiar with the stories in the book and read them myself once I learned, but I do not have any memories of Mom ever reading any of them to us – although she might have.

        But Mom was the kind of person who would blurt something out spontaneously every once in a while. Sometimes what she came out with would be totally uncharacteristic of her, which is what made these moments so memorable. 
        There was this one time Mom did her imitation of a camel! She moved her head, made a goofy face and did a funny wobbly strut with her knees going every which way - it would have won her a special spot in Monty Python’s Ministry for Silly Walks! And I laughed! Oh gosh! I only saw her do it that once – and believe me, I could neither describe it in words nor physically duplicate it myself –a singular moment – Mom’s imitation of a camel.

       Then there was the lone nursery rhyme I ever remember Mom recite:

Oh my dolly is sick sick sick

Call for the doctor quick quick quick

You must keep her very warm

You must keep her very still

And when I come tomorrow

You must please pay my bill

       Googling these words today, I find an old nursery rhyme called Miss Polly’s Dolly. Miss Polly’s version has a few more lines before getting to the paying the bill part. The fact that Mom skipped right to the doctor asking to be paid tells you a whole lot about who Mom was! 

       And then there were the moments when she would burst into song. There was one day, Mom just started singing:

Managua, Nicaragua it’s a beautiful town

You can buy a hacienda for a few pesos down!

       I think it was just one time Mom did this. My brother recalls it was when a big earthquake had hit Managua and the news was on TV. But you know, every time I have heard the words Managua, Nicaragua since then, and we are talking a heck of a lot of years here, I hear the words and then my brain goes right to singing those lines. Every single time. Sometimes out loud.

       Googling this morning, the song is called Managua, Nicaragua – the words were written by Albert Gamse likely sometime in the 1940’s. One of the recordings of the song was made by Guy Lombardo – and I’m thinking this is the version Mom would have been familiar with.

       Yeah, my mom did not read fairy tales or sing us lullabies. But she was there. And she is still right here!

20200318 36 Mom’s Lullaby