For my mom, on the right, having family over on Sundays took the sting out of being an only child. (photo taken in the early 1930’s) No doubt, after the women made a hearty lunch, the men drank homemade German beer and smoked cigars while they played poker.
Daily photo prompt: Sting
While sitting for my 14 month old granddaughter, I thought once again about the lyrics of this creepy song:
Rock a bye baby,
in a treetop,
when the wind blows,
the cradle will rock,
when the bough breaks,
the cradle will fall,
and down will come baby,
baby and all.
What a horrible song to sing to little ones at nighttime!
By the way, I’ve never sang those lyrics to any of my babies!
So, here’s the deal.
The song was first published in 1765 in Mother Goose’s Melody. The only change from today was the first line – Mush-abye-baby. (Still weird) The editors noted, it is “a warning to the proud and ambitious, who climb [too] high that [they] generally fall at last.”
Here’s one theory:
James II had a son by his second wife in 1688, displacing the presumptive heir, his daughter, Mary, married to the Protestant William III of Orange. One speculative theory simply holds that the baby in the song is this little guy, and the lyrics were a “death wish,” that the little Catholic prince would die and a Protestant king would ascend to the throne.
Here’s another: A relative of Davy Crocket made up the song when she was babysitting. (IMDB lists her as the writer of “Rock-a-Bye Baby” when it was used in well-over 100 movies.)
Alrighty then.
Another theory is when the pilgrims encountered the Native Americans, they put their babies in cradles up in trees to protect them. (Stupid because surely, the cradle would fall. Maybe it was really the Native Americans who created the song to make fun of the of the newcomers putting their kids in trees.)
Whatever. It’s still a scary song.
My ending goes like this,
At least the song “Ring around the Rosie,” sad because of its original meaning, didn’t have scary words.
Okay, off my soapbox now. And remember to always hold your children tight.
None of you will question that as we live our lives – go to work, parties, travel, have relationships, etc., – experiences combine and create how we view the world and ourselves. And grieving the death of loved ones is an experience we all share.
First, let me say that I do not call myself a “religious” sort. I consider myself more as spiritual and intuitive and I never considered the possibility that a deceased love one would contact me. Until it happened.
In the 1980’s, when I thought going through infertility would drive me over a cliff, I had an early morning phone call from my grandfather who had died in the 60’s. “Grandpa,” I said. “Why are you calling? You’re dead.”
“I’m calling to check on you.”
“I’m fine,” I lied.
My husband woke me to get up for work. I was furious and sad that my call had been abruptly ended. The “dream,” was not like a real dream made of scene or stories. I only saw Grandpa’s face, and I felt him as real as the pillow my head rested upon.
Not long after, my deceased grandmother “called.” I said the same thing. “Grandma, you’re dead. Why are you calling?”
“I’m calling to check on you. How are you.”
“I’m fine.”
Then she asked, “Is there anything I can do for you?”
“Yes. Will you ask God to give me a baby?”
There was a long pause as if she were thinking. Then, she said, “I have to go now.”
(Today, I have two grown children, two grandchildren and another due in May.Who knows, right?)
Mom’s first contact with me was different. I had just left the cemetery when a song I’d never heard before came on NPR radio. To this day, I cannot find that song but its words were something like, “don’t worry, we’ll see each other in heaven.” The song made me smile.
Later, in a dream-vision, Mom had simply smiled at me, looked youthful and happy, and pain-free.
As my father lay dying, I asked, “will you check on me after you’re gone like Mom, Grandma and Grandpa did?”
He said, “I’ll always check on my babies.”
Wherever Dad is, he must be very busy since he has yet to “contact” me. That’s okay, too. He’s probably teaching Mohammad Ali how to play checkers or dominoes.
Some people call these signs “Pennies from Heaven.”
Knowing my experiences, I recently ran across this article. Take a look. Perhaps it will apply to you as well. And please, let me know if it does.
Carolyn Dennis-Willingham 