Reminders of my Mother, the Song She Used to Sing

It's been a while since my mom and I have really talked, but I've been talking about my mom more and more lately.  I read in a book that girls think it's important to hear stories about things their mom and grandmother used to do when they were little, so I thought I'd start doing it.  It never dawned on me how much it would make me wish I was closer to my own mother.  For anyone that might be interested, the book is called Everyday Ways to Raise Smart, Strong, Confident Girls: Successful Teens Tell Us What Works.

Sometimes reminders really come from unexpected places.  I never expected to be reminded of a song my mom used to sing, especially not this little ditty.  The song goes like this:

"Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat.  Please do put a penny in the old man's hat.  If you don't have a penny, a hay-penny will do.  If you don't have a hay-penny then God bless you!"

Today we were reading a book together calledThe Story of Halloween.  In it they used just a portion of that.  They claimed those going door to door for treats and money used to sing, "If you don't have a penny, a half-penny will do.  If you don't have a half-penny then God bless you!"

I was so surprised.  It took me a good long while (as in until right now) to figure out why we used to sing that at Christmas, but it was still a nice connection.  I taught my kids to sing the song and we had a good time of it.  My kids thought it was pretty fun that the book talked about something their grandmother used to sing.

These days I'm finding more and more reasons to share things about my family with my kids.  We talked about the famous "potato question" not that long ago.  I look forward to the day they start talking about simple trivia they should know, yet can't seem to remember and refer to it as a "potato question"!  I think this year I'm going to tell them about the Turkey Races, and maybe we'll find a way to stage our own.  I want to tell them as much as I remember.  Why?  Because our country is losing so much of it's rich family histories and the oral tradition.  I think it's something too important to let go.  I want my children to feel close to their families, even when they're so far away.  It gives them a little bit of something they can hold on to.  It also gives them something to reference in their own lives.  They can hear about the mistakes I've made, the frustrations I've had with my parents, and everything else and in the end, they'll know I knew what they were going through once.  I may not understand anymore because I'm on the other side of it all, but once upon a time I knew.  Maybe it will help them find a way to get through.