This is the day

Today is my birthday, so please indulge my reflections!

One of my favorite things to do with Will is sing to him. It's not as if I have a great voice, or I'm particularly musical. I come from a musical family, but I'm the only one who doesn't play at least one instrument. And yet, I love to make up songs to sing to Will. We have a "diaper song", a "time to change our clothes song" as well as a "happy car seat song (happy, happy)". I sang them to try to keep him happy during trying moments of things he disliked, but I must admit that I created these songs as much for me as for Will. When I sing them, it calms me too!

But at night, when I sing him lullabies, songs of my childhood are what emerge, from deep parts of myself I've long forgotten. I sing old hymns, old obscure worship songs that few would know as well as classics like Jesus loves the little children and Jesus loves me.

One day I found myself singing a song called "This is the day". It's a song I grew to loathe during childhood. I spent much of my education in Christian school and at one of the schools I attended, we sang this song almost every day at the beginning of the day. Maybe it was more annoying so early in the morning. It had an annoying staccato sing-song quality, especially when accompanied by loud clapping. Sometimes they would sing it faster and faster like a whirling merry go round.  The lyrics were repetitive and rather un-poetic. I still know all the words by heart - of course!

This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made
I will rejoice, I will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it
This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made.

I was thinking back on that song, thinking perhaps they might have started everyday with that song as a reminder that no matter what the day holds THIS is the day the Lord has made, the day you are in right now, this very moment. Children (not me of course, teehee) can be quite whiny, and perhaps this song was meant as an admonition to quit your whinin', suck it up, put on a smile and get down to work!

Now as an adult, I have much more appreciation for what that song might mean, and even more so as I watch my little bebe grow up so fast! Each day is unique - with its own troubles and joys. Each day is special. Each day will never come again - for better or worse. Each day slips away so quickly. If we are not rejoicing in THIS DAY, we are missing out.