I Am Your Child

“I Am Your Child” by Barry Manilow

The first time I heard this song was at Michael’s preschool graduation. Although I have a lot to say on the matter of preschool graduations, I won’t go there now. Michael wasn’t even 5 yet, Kris was an energetic 2 years old and I was pregnant with Andrew. It was a cute ceremony complete with songs and dance routines that went bad as only preschool dance numbers can. At the halfway point they whisked the kids away and we were treated to a slide show of the school year set to music.

When the curtains opened, there they were, our little guys dressed in caps and gowns. They had asked the moms to line up by the side of the stage and they put us in alphabetical order. Well, all it took was for the first mom to walk across the stage to be greeted by her preschooler presenting her a rose for the emotions in the auditorium to swell. There was sniffling coming from all directions.

It’s hard to even describe the emotions swirling around as I crossed the stage to meet Michael, rose in hand. He was precious in the cap and gown. The cap was tilted at a slight angle, similar to the way he wore his baseball cap. The look on his face was one of pure innocence. That’s what struck me more than anything. He was so small and sweet and he had no clue how emotional this was. I realized in that split second that this was going to be a memory that would last forever but at this same second, Michael did not know this. He might not even remember it, except for me telling him about it years later.

This song makes me cry. Every time. It reminds me of Michael and his preschool graduation. It reminds me that all of my children are always my children and while their actions are their own and they have to take responsibility for them, the people that they have become are due to me and their father. It’s more than genes. It’s more than biology. It’s nature and nurture combined. The good, the bad, the entire package.

25 Songs, 25 Days: Day 16- A song that made you cry