Ellemental

During the first few months of kindergarten, my teacher taught us a song.  I can’t remember it at all anymore, other than the fact that it had something to do with autumn.  I think one of the lines went something like, “and the wind blew…WHOOOOSH”, and during the whooosh, the class would wildly circle our arms.  It was one of those interactive songs that kindergarteners and young youth choir singers love.  (Although I don’t remember the kindergarten song, I absolutely remember “This Little Light of Mine”, “There were 12 Disciples”, and “Deep and Wide“.)  That stuff stays with you, you know??

Anyhow.  I loved the autumn song so much that that first night I had to sing it for my grandfather.  My grandfather went to bed every night at 8 pm.  So at 7:59, I stood on the staircase (about 3 steps up), facing the landing where my grandfather stood and sang my autumn song.  I got so into it, that at the end I added an extra flourish by leaping (unexpectedly) into his arms.  I can still remember the way he laughed.  It was a surprised, deep rumble of humor.  It was love.  It was beautiful.

That became our routine for a very long time.  My grandfather would rise out of his news-watching/newpaper-reading/pipe-smoking chair and announce it was bedtime.  As he headed to the kitchen to arrange his supplies for the early morning insulin shot, I’d run to the third step up and wait.  Every night.  I jumped into my grandfather’s arms every night until I got too big for him to catch safely.

I don’t remember the song, other than the fact that it was about autumn, but I know how much it meant to me.  And every year, about this time, when I find autumn peeking around the corner, the song that I can’t remember is in my mind more often, and memories of my grandfather even more.