"You'll Never Know"

 I have over twenty halfhearted posts, plus a bunch of coding, on the back burner. I don't know why I've procrastinated so much. I accomplished one thing today and this is it:

It won't display well on a mobile phone. Such is life. Turn your screen sideways. 

It won't work sideways for most, but at least I made some of you try.

Anyway... 

We were talking show tunes during dinner (split pea soup). We were a theatre family once upon a time. I was probably the only kid in the world that had Anything Goes, Music Man, Carousel, King and I, Man of La Mancha, and Milk & Honey memorized. Not just the songs. The entire script. The. Entire. Script. Director's and Stage Manager's. So there's character and scene analysis plus blocking and cues and God knows what else.

I had a very weird childhood.

My Mum sang, "I Get A Kick Out of You" to my Dad at their wedding reception. She had wrapped up Anything Goes while they were dating, so the song held deep meaning for both of them.

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga put a fun spin on it despite his Alzheimer's.

However, tonight's focus was "You'll Never Know". My mother couldn't remember the lyrics and entire tune. She said she would sing it to Dad all the time. Quick! Stand back while I whip out my trusty smartphone! 

I pulled up my favorite version - sung by Vera Lynn - and watched Mum's face. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes. This was Their Song. This moment was a tiny peek into a backstory I was too young to remember... or not old enough to have existed yet. 

Mum didn't realize my phone played videos. She asked if I could write down the lyrics for her. In this day and age? A quick search for those lyrics, and a few minutes with PhotoShop, and she had something to commemorate those memories.

I think she's been dwelling on Dad a lot lately. Her aches and pains are getting worse. She's getting tired. Her soul aches for her mate. She listens to the last voicemail he ever left. He's talking about already having the newspaper (at the hospital). He said he loved her. Goodbye.

I miss him, too. The song was cathartic for both of us.

_________________

2 Feb 2022

Mum was happy with the gift I made. She also said she dreamed of Dad last night. That's two nights in a row. "He changed the lyrics", she said. I almost thought she meant in real life rather than that dream. She clarified that she wasn't going geriatric weird on me.

I opted to fiddle around with the lyrics. I plan to print it out and frame it for her.