Friday, November 25, 2016

Joan (A Song of Love)

Hope you all had a great Thanksgiving with people you love! And now, a story to remind us how truly beautiful family can be. And a call to listen to "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" by Joan :) Ready? HERE's a link I found for your listening pleasure! (Yes, it's playing on my laptop as I write you this blog post now, and yes my one-and-a-half-year-old son is nodding his head to it, deep in thought!)

Joan Bunting
10.27.2016
A Song of Love

This past Friday (10-21-16) I had the most beautiful experience ever. My youngest daughter, Teresa, came to visit me.

We talked, laughed, and ate French fries and hamburgers. She paid for the meal and she even through in a slice of cheesecake for me.

Out of the clear blue sky, she said, “Mom, I dedicate this song to you and I mean every word of it.”

She had sung a song on her phone which was always one of my favorites, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters.”

I’ve always liked that song very much, but that was the very first time I truly listened to every word.

You see, when my children were growing up (I have six, two boys and four girls) they witnessed me being abused by their father whenever he got drunk.

When I listened to the words of that song and really understood what she was saying to me through this song, it touched my heart.

I never learned all of the words to this song but as I listened to all of the words, each word I felt the love of my daughter that she feels for me.

Teresa is the youngest of my six children and she was also the one which felt it in her heart two years ago this December the 6th to honor me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying my other children don’t have the same love for me, because I know what they love me, but being individuals, they show their love in may other ways.

Since last Friday when I go to bed at night and when I woke up in the morning and all through the day, I find myself singing the few words that I know.

Have you ever had a song that just wouldn’t leave? I did many times and hated it, but this particular song, I don’t want it to leave me.  It brings tears to my eyes to know how much someone loves me.

If ever you have the chance to listen to “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” do it.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Arlin (Life)

Between the last blog post and this one, something big took place - the end of a messy presidential elections season that has left behind messy feelings of negativity across the country. To me, there's one and only one solution: love. This story by Mr. Arlin reminds us to rediscover that in our own families. Here in our Best Day family, we have that, and I am so grateful. More than ever, let's hold onto that.
Arlin Gordon
5.13.2010
Life

I’d like to talk about life because life is so interesting. I grew up in a family of 11 children. I was raised by my mother, father, and grandfather. One thing that was interesting about Grandpa was that he always checked our homework. He’d say, “This is right, this is not right.” It wasn’t till he has passed and we were talking years later that somebody said, “Grandpa couldn’t read”. And I said “What? Say that again?” But you know, it didn’t matter that he couldn’t read. He was always able to make us do our homework.

I grew up in a fun-loving and caring family. I enjoyed meal times because we talked with one another. We didn’t have a lot of money but we had love. And that’s something I’d like to see come back to the American family.