When Valentine’s Day comes around, I always find it interesting that it takes a special holiday, one set aside for showing our love, for some of us to do just that: to show our love. It then makes me ponder how well I have done to make those in my circle feel loved and appreciated. Some years I have done well with sending birthday cards and Christmas notes in a timely manner, or little random love notes in my daughter’s backpack, on my son’s desk… but other years I look back to realize I’ve not done nearly enough at all.
Recently, I wrote a new song that I really liked and sat down to play it for my daughter, Charlotte. She is always the first to hear my new songs; I cherish her honest reactions and feedback. After listening to the song, she took a moment before saying, “I really like it mom, but I think it’s about time you wrote a song about me.” How could I argue with that?
So, on a night where I knew I would have the house to myself, I sat down to compose a love song to my daughter, my soulmate. Charlotte was born in Alaska on March 5th, 2007, which is still deep winter there, on a super moon. The abnormally large full moon lit up the night sky as we drove the 45 miles from our log cabin on the edge of the ocean to the hospital in Soldotna, AK. It was a Sunday night, and I had just gone on maternity leave that Friday, thinking I had at least a week to properly nest before her due date. But no, instead my water broke as I lay in bed, relaxed and reading, looking forward to the week ahead at home.
Writing a song is a lot like making meatloaf for me. It is never the same process twice. Sometimes I add paprika, onions, and oatmeal, and sometimes I would rather reach for poblano peppers, mushrooms, and cumin. It just depends on my mood…and so it goes with songwriting. For this song though, I made a mental list of all the details from her birth, to her personality, to the little inside rituals we have, just she and I. I had already come up with a melody I loved, full of light and peace, and I kept playing it over and over until I was able to phrase my list of details into lines, and then verses, a chorus, and a bridge. Sometimes songs take months or even years to fully complete, and sometimes they come like a flash of lightning. This song, “Intertwined,” came out of me like water, and I knew she would love it.
One of my favorite lines goes: “Even though you’re grown, your chin still fits under mine.” After Charlotte listened to the song, with a huge smile on her face, she came to give me a big hug and nestled her chin perfectly under mine. I am not known for writing many love songs, but this one came from the heart, and Charlotte gives it the thumbs up. When I ponder this Valentine’s Day whether or not I have shown enough love to those I love, this song will be at the top of my list!