When you are expecting your first baby, you spend a lot of time imagining what it will be like to be a parent.  I can remember driving home from work one day with the seat belt in my car stretched to the limit across the expanse of my belly.  I was thinking about the lullabies that parents sing to their children and the horror involved in some of those words.  Like “When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall, and down will come baby, cradle and all.”  Need I say more?

I decided then that I would write my own lullaby for my baby.  One that would be special for him or her.  As I drove, the words came to me.  When my little girl was born a short while later, I held her in my arms and sang these words to her.

Rest your head and know your safe,

While mommy watches over your sweet little face.

My ba-a-by, my ba-a-by, sleep, sleep, sleep.

Close your eyes and say goodnight,

It’s time to dream while I hold you tight,

My ba-a-by, my ba-a-by, sleep, sleep, sleep.

Mm mm mm mm, mm mm mm,

Mm mm mm mm, mm mm mm,

My ba-a-by, my ba-a-by, sleep, sleep sleep.

From that first night on, every night throughout her childhood, and then throughout her little brother’s childhood, I sang those words.  Recently, I tried to remember them again and found that they were almost forgotten.  I decided to write them down, so that I would always have them.  I hope, someday, my children will remember this little song and sing it to their own children.  After all, they are the only ones who know how the tune goes.

http://www.theresadodaro.com   Author of The Tin Box Trilogy