I ended my “Songs my mother taught me” faculty recital with this song composed in honor of my mom, who she was, and what was most important to her.
- Born into the Great Depression- sleeping in a dresser drawer-*
and before she was even 10 years old, the world was engulfed in war.
Times were tough- life was rough – but somehow there was love enough –
and now it seems to me that this is the key:
refrain: To my mother’s special grace … to her open, warm embrace …
To her gentle heart of gold …. to the ways her arms could hold
every joy … every fear … all our laughter … all our tears.
and I’m so very thankful I can say
that I feel my mother’s love still today.
2. Fast forward to the 1960’s – to a quiet little college town –
but beneath the idyllic surface, so many battle lines were drawn.**
Such a test- so much unrest – yet somehow we were richly blessed.
And now it seems to me that this is the key: refrain: to my mother’s special grace…. etc.
3. Fast forward the 1980’s and a most remarkable day
the day when my brother Stephen told our mom and dad that he was gay.
It shook the ground – the stars spun round – but in the end, new love was found.
And now it’s clear to me that this is the key: refrain: to my mother’s special grace …. etc.
4. So often it is in the desert – so often it is in the storm –
so often when our lives are hardest – that the richest kind of love is born.
We’re hurt – we’re burned – our fortunes turn – but oh, the lessons that we learn!
And now it’s clear to me that this is the key:
to a mother’s special grace – to a mother’s warm embrace –
to a mother’s heart of gold – to the way her arms can hold
every joy – every fear- all of our laughter – all our tears –
and I’m so very thankful I can say, that I feel my mother’s love still today.
*My mom’s mom (my grandmother Hintz) was 48 or 49 years old when she gave birth to my mom- and believe it or not, she did not realize she was pregnant until she went into labor. So my mom’s arrival was a complete surprise to her parents- and for her first couple of nights after coming home from the hospital, my mom actually slept in a dresser drawer, since they didn’t have a cradle or crib.
**This refers to Decorah, Iowa- where my family lived from 1965 to 1974. During the turbulent 60’s and early 70’s there was a very raw, painful town-gown split …. and that split made itself known in all kinds of ways in all sorts of settings and interactions. It was a very hard time for everyone, no matter where you were on the political spectrum.