Heavenly Music

I have only met my cousin Meagan a few times. It's the sad reality of living halfway across the continent in another country: you miss out on family connections.

But I met her, and got to know her just a little last week, while visiting all the family in Maryland. And we're a lot alike...but she's prettier :)

We had a family gathering Friday night, where we all sat around and sang songs. It was a sweet new memory for me to cling to when the cold Edmonton winter and stress from classes drive me to the brink of despair. My mom asked that Meagan and I sing a duet of one of my favorite old hymns, "What Heavenly Music," but halfway through the second verse, I succumbed to tears.

That song, simple though it is, has been dear to my heart from the time I learned to sing in church. And in my darkest hours, I have hummed the tune, or simply let the melody weave through my thoughts, as I sought some sort of refuge. And the song always guided me to the times when I felt most at home: sitting serenely on Grandma's front porch at 809 Davis Ave., watching the summer sun set, or playing UNO on a Saturday night at her dining room table, surrounded by sticky popcorn and root beer. I think, if anything, Heaven will be such childlike contentment.

After the singing last Friday night, when we'd said our last goodbyes to just about everybody, Meagan called me upstairs to a quiet corner of Grandma and Granddad's guest room. We sat propped against the side of the bed, and she plunked her digital SLR camera on the floor between us. "We have to sing that song again, and this time, don't cry!"

I didn't know til we had a pitch, and were ready to launch into the song, that we'd be recording it. So, I could give all sorts of excuses for the quality of my singing, etc. But I won't. Because I think the song can stand on its own, no matter the quality of the performance or recording.

I couldn't figure out how to simply post it as an audio file, so I've included some of my favorite pictures--of a few of my favorite people, and a few of my favorite places. And while I'm no pro, I sure enjoyed making it.



What Heavenly Music