October, 2013 Down Syndrome Awareness... Day 9

I'll Fly Away... and togetherness

I love the way Josh brings us together as a family. It's quite difficult to STAY mad for very long when he's around. I even sometimes TRY to hold a grudge because there's a REASON I'm upset, but he usually makes me laugh. This doesn't only happen when he's the offender... it happens no matter who's in trouble. He seems to sense grudges... it's almost like he doesn't hold them so nobody around him should hold them either. Good way to live, I s'pose.

I have shared the video before of him singing "I'll Fly Away" in church with Grandpa. It's his favorite. Has been since he was a wee one. So last year, he decided to sing it in front of his whole school. The first attempt was a failure because his teacher couldn't understand the song he was requesting so she played what she THOUGHT he was asking for. He totally winged it. I wasn't there, but everyone said he did great not knowing one single word in the song. hahaha...

After speaking with me and finding the song, they gave him a second chance. I was SO tickled that they let him sing THIS song at school. It talks about going to heaven and spending eternity with God... not really something many schools would allow. He's our little missionary, spreading the Good News. I love that.

But the 2nd attempt was kind of a wash too because he had never heard this particular version... it's much faster and twangier than he's used to... he had to wing it again. He did okay... but I DO wish everyone there that day could hear him REALLY sing it. He's good. :)

(twangier? is that a word? it's kind of fun to say... twangier ;))

Well, that song has now turned into an almost daily routine for our family. The number of the song in our hymn book at church is 705. So every morning, at 7:05, we all break out in song, in unison, singing "I'll Fly Away". Sometimes we forget and 7:05 comes and goes... but not very often. Josh doesn't allow us to forget very often.

And we have to stop at exactly 7:06, even if we are mid-word.

Usually, by 7:05 in the morning, in this house, we need a little song.

It makes us laugh. It makes us happy. It makes us feel silly. It sets our day in motion on the right foot. Nobody is quiet. Everybody sings. It's perfect (even IF my kids will shoot me for sharing this).

And when they have had a rough morning and don't feel like singing? Well, they usually join in anyway by the 3rd for 4th word... with a grin. I'm so grateful for the togetherness that having Josh around causes. I can guarantee with a capital "G" that we would NOT be singing in the morning if it weren't for him. :)

Here's the video (again) of him singing in front of the school. I want to hug the kid at the end who hollers "good job"!!