Sing A Little!

Sing A Little!

©Allen Merritt (2015)

Last week I was one of many struck with a little bit of the flu. It pretty much ate up my week, had me mostly in bed and under the covers. Luckily, I felt it coming on early and made my attempts to curb it, but in the end, those efforts only helped a little. When you are struck with cold and flu stuff, you have to wait it out. This is frustrating when you really want to get up and going.

Feeling like a zombie for days on end is never appealing. But as you round the corner and cross over that threshold toward recovery, it’s like seeing a light at the end of the tunnel and a sense of calm and joy starts creeping back in. At the end of it all, even the most mundane of days can appear brighter.

I’ve noticed that you can read all the positive stuff you want, hear others cheer you on and ask you to hang in there, keep a stiff upper lip, it’s all going to get better, but until you yourself grasp onto any of those insights they don’t mean anything.  When I don’t feel well, I am stuck in limbo land. However, I do realize how being open-minded, accessible and adaptable to some extent will help lead us down happier pathways.  Just as it is when you have the flu and don’t feel well, you have to take care of yourself and work your way through it. Sometimes, it’s beyond our control.

For me, I know I am feeling better when something makes me laugh. Out of nowhere and unexpectedly I catch a giggle. In that moment I consciously am aware of a change.  That, in and of itself, makes me feel better. Another thing I’ve noticed about myself is that when I begin to hum or sing a little song, I am on the right road to recovery. When both of these things take place I see the not so good turning itself around. I like that! It feels good to feel good. Turning things around instills something in me about working through things; or, how we sometimes have to brave a little bit of the winter before we can enjoy summer.

It may appear simple-minded, but forging forward until I can laugh a little and sing a little just might be the best way to turn those frowns upside down, as some will say. Somehow, this makes sense to me rather than constantly wallowing in my own self-pity and moaning, “Oh! Whoa is me.” If laughter is the best medicine and singing helps us come alive, then I want to re-new my prescription!  At least, that’s the way I see it.

In closing, I’d like to remind everyone of the hit “Sing a Song” written by Louis Prima. It may bring back some memories. If you want to sing along, here are some YouTube links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLsqApf_-GY (Carpenters Version)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAkJNWRQF18 (Shirley Bassey version)

Sing, sing a song
Sing out loud
Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad
Sing of happy not sad.

Sing, sing a song
Make it simple to last
Your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not
Good enough for anyone
Else to hear
Just sing, sing a song.

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Cheers!