I've told you the story of how I grew up in a home where each day was welcomed with a song, where a mother who was so full of love and light, would wake me with a smile on her face and a song quite literally in her heart as she warbled out some little song so delightfully sweet she could have been mistaken for a Disney princess... on happy pills!
Days were filled with old black and white films starring the beautiful Marilyn Monroe singing her little heart out about diamonds, or the colourful and tropical South Pacific, or her favourite The Sound of Music! This love of a world where stories were told with a song was shared and encouraged in me and as I grew up during the great Disney renaissance where they once again returned to their roots and started making and releasing new films based on the old traditions and styles of the classics like Snow White and Cinderella, I was thrown into a world where musicals were once again relevant to the younger generations like myself.
I didn't grow up in a wealthy family so I wasn't one of those kids who had every single Disney movie on VHS, in part because back then they did that annoying retail trick of "buy it now before it goes back in the Disney vault" all so they could re-release it every now and then at full price instead of ever having to sell it for a low price! So being from a lower income family my Mum never fell for their annoying marketing ploy, but she did always buy me a plentiful supply of blank VHS tapes as part of birthdays or christmas so that I could record my own from the television, and as the early stage geek that I was... I actually preferred that, it was fun to record them and label them myself!
So being actively encouraged to enjoy all things musical it's little wonder that now as an adult, I never grew out of it, I still watch Disney movies and sing along with the songs, at least a third if not more of my iTunes music library is made up of original cast recordings from stage musicals, Disney films, movie adaptations of stage musicals and yes... far too many songs by the cast of Glee! and I'm not even remotely ashamed of that.
I was given a gift growing up, the ability to see the world as she did, a world where heartache and despair often drowns out the important things in life, a world where people don't always share their feelings with each other, a world where people don't always have the words to share how they feel even if they want to. What's the gift in that? I know that sounds like a strange thing to say, but these are all things that musicals excel at sharing or explaining with the world! If everyone lived life like a musical, things would be a lot simpler, a lot more honest and things would probably get done faster and more happy endings might even happen!
This is why I start the day with music, or use music to share my feelings when I need help doing so, this is why I celebrate my Mum's memory and life with music on every day that was a part of her life, the day she died, the day she gave birth to me, the day she was married, and most importantly today, the day she was born.
11th November, a day where I could easily be heartbroken and mourn, but I choose to smile through my sadness and let music bring us closer together just like it would in a musical.
So today, I ask of you one little favour, live, dance, sing and share your favourite songs from any and all musicals with the world, with strangers and with people that you love. Maybe even leave little post it notes with lines from your favourite songs in strange places for people to find. Use your imagination and let the world be just that little bit brighter today, because that's what she would do!
I love you Mum, thank you for letting me be a part of your world.
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